One of Their Own
by Ace Von S
Summary: Rewritten. An injured police officer, a daughter of a high profile cop, what a mess. And why is Flack beside himself with worry? OFC/D.Flack. R&R Disclaimer I own only Jackie, anything you recognise are not mine, just playing.
1. Introduction

I have used many stories and many movies as my inspiration. I do not own them and I am not making any profit. I am just playing with the characters and some of the storylines. I do not mean to offend anyone and if I do, I apologize. Anything you recognize is not mine.

_ONE OF THEIR OWN_

INTRODUCTION

_FIGHT! You gotta fight girl. You want to live… want to live… fight… so weak… tear the plastic… tear it apart… fight… hurts… pain.. no… must… FIGHT!_

Fresh air hit her lungs and she screamed like a newborn baby as the air tore through her lungs. Then came the sweet satin darkness and claimed her. The City that never sleeps and its sounds continued on like nothing had happened. She was just another victim in the long line of them, just another Jane Doe.

Sometime later a phone rang somewhere in the city. The persistent ringing woke up detective Mac Taylor. Usually the man was calm and in control, but he was tired. It had bee a long day and all he wanted was a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was obvious that it was not going to happen so he gave up and answered. As soon as he hung up, he dressed hastily, even remembering to add the usual pin to the left side of his jacket. With that he was out of his door rushing to the crime scene.

"What we got detective?" Mac asked as he watched the rescue team haul a young woman to the ambulance.

"An injured officer, Jaqueline Caine. She is the only child of Horatio Caine of Miami." answered detective Angel in a cold voice. She was mad because someone had dared to attack a fellow officer, almost killing her.

"She has multiple stab wounds, a broken arm…" Angel took a break before continuing, "…and she was wrapped in this." She pointed to something on the ground. Mac's eyes followed to where she was pointing at. He took a closer look and realized '_it_' was a huge piece of plastic. While Mac was examining the plastic, Angel continued.

"And we also found this on top of her chest." She smiled sadly as she held the evidence bag in her hand. The bag contained a badge. Mac also looked sad when he realized that is was Caine's badge.

"Who called it in?" He asked as he marked the plastic as evidence.

"Mr. Stiglitz, Claus Stiglitz. He is homeless and always sleeps somewhere in this park. This is his territory, so to speak. He heard a car near, but this is New York after all, so he thought nothing of it. He told us that he was almost back to sleep when he heard a bloodcurdling scream and then it was unnaturally quiet. He found her and called to us from a phone booth. He is giving a statement at the station as we speak." Angel told Mac.

"Has her father been informed of what has happened?" Mac asked worried. This was too much, his friend did not deserve this and neither did his daughter for that matter. Anyone who attacked a cop must either very stupid or they had nothing to loose, or both. Every cop in the city would be after them like bloodhounds and this time the victim was a daughter of a high profile cop. The assailant might as well put up a flare.

"Yes, Mr. Caine has been informed and he is on his way, but it will take several hours since he is flying here from Miami." Angel answered.

The two detectives looked around; they would work hard, harder than ever to catch the culprit. And the sooner he or she was caught the better.

While Mac and his team were working the scene, the ambulance raced the streets to safe the life of officer Caine. In hospital the doctors and nurses did everything in their power to save her. But there is only so much they can do. In the end, it came down to the patient and whether the patient wanted to live or if they wanted to die.

Sometime later a man was once again wakened from sleep by the ringing of a phone. The young man cursed as his icy blue eyes met the gentle light of the early morning.

"Flack" he barked after finding the offending ringing thing. He hated being woken up at this ungodly hour, it never meant any good.

"Mr. Flack. This is nurse Bolton from the Lennox Hill Hospital. Do you know a young woman named Jaqueline Caine?"

Flack's heart started to beat like an insane Easter bunny on meth when he heard the word hospital and the phone nearly slipped from his hands when he heard who was in there. '_Alright Donny boy, collect yourself, act like a cop. You can do it._'

"Yes I do. I believe she named me as her emergency contact. Has something happened to her?" Useless question, he knew, but it was out before he could help himself. They would not be calling if everything was right and fine.

"Mr. Flack. She is in critical condition and we need you to come here… just in case." Nurse Bolton told him.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can." Flack told her and closed the phone. _'Damn you woman, what have you gotten into now? Was it that piece of shit I warned you about? Jackie, darling… just hang in the, I am on my way…'_

The way he was driving, he could be glad that he got to the hospital in one piece and in record time. He rushed in and headed straight to the reception.

"Hello. I am detective Don Flack. I got a phone call concerning Jaqueline Caine few moments ago." He told to the woman behind the counter.

"Hello detective. I am nurse Bolton and the one to call you." The woman told him. "If you would follow me." She said and started to walk. Flack, naturally, followed.

"Please, can you tell me what happened to her? And more importantly how is she?" Flack was worried.

The nurse hid a smile. The man beside her was acting like a mother hen or like an over protective big brother… or like a concerned lover. She just couldn't be sure. But he sure did get to the hospital very fast.

It was obvious that the woman fighting for her life meant a great deal to him. And she could understand his anxiety; these situations are never nice nor comfortable.

"All I can tell you is that se is out of the surgery. She had multiple stab wounds, some that were still bleeding when she was brought in. She also had a broken arm and two of her ribs were also broken. Most of her body is covered in bruises. She's still in critical condition, but at the moment she is stable. The doctors did what they could and now it is in the hands of a higher power. All we can do now is pray and make her comfortable. Now it's up to her and she seems to be fighter." Nurse Bolton told him. She was never one for sugarcoating things.

Flack listened to her silently becoming sadder and sadder with each spoken word. He nodded in understanding. '_Oh Jackie'_.

"Has her father been contacted?" He finally asked.

Nurse Bolton nodded. "Yes, we have contacted him and so has the police."

Flack was relieved. He hated telling the parents that their kids have been hurt or worse… killed.

"Can I see her?" He asked.

"I can take you to her, but unfortunately we cannot permit anyone enter her room except the hospital personnel." She told him. His face was so sad that she wanted to hug him, tell him that everything was going to be alright. Of course she did no such thing.

Flack sighed dejectedly, "I understand. But when you go in… could you tell her… that I am here, even if she's unconscious." Nurse Bolton smiled and touched his shoulder to give him some comfort.

"I will and I will also explain it to her, why you cannot be there yourself, holding her hand." Flack smiled a small sad smile at this.


	2. Long Vigil

A/N I still own nothing you recognize. I am making no profit, just playing.

LONG VIGIL

It had been three days since Jaqueline had been brought in, three long days for the men sitting beside her in the hospital. It had been only yesterday since they had been given the permission to go in, they hadn't left since. Flack was looking a bit disheveled, like a person who had spent three days in hospital. He just didn't care; his main concern was lying on the bed, looking too small.

She was out of immediate danger, but for some reason, she would not wake. It seemed like her mind had shut down so to speak. Her mind was trying to protect her, keeping the reality away as she was healing, 'till she was strong enough to deal.

He couldn't believe how fragile she looked. It seemed so wrong. '_She should be making sarcastic remarks to her coworkers or having a few drinks with her mates, playing pool._' He sighed, life just wasn't fair. Flack startled when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Don, you have not slept in days. Go home and get some sleep. After, take a shower and eat something. I'll stay here." Flack looked at his redheaded companion.

"Neither have you, Horatio." Flack stated.

"Touché, but you need it more than I do. You look like death swarmed over you. I'll call you if something, anything, happens." Horatio said.

"Alright, sir, I'll go. Sleep actually sounds very seductive right now." Flack admitted weakly. He rose from his chair and walked towards the door. He opened it, but hesitated. He turned towards Horatio.

"I am sorry, sir. I am sorry that I was not able to keep her safe." Flack said and his voice cracked. As soon as he uttered the words, he found himself looking into familiar ocean blue eyes. He tried to swallow the tears that threatened to fall, he was loosing the battle. The fear of loosing Jaqueline was too hard to deal with. His eyes that had been dry until now were wet with tears and in the end he let them fall freely.

Horatio saw the pain and the raw fear in the younger man's eyes, he knew the feelings well, they were mirrored in his own.

"Don, look at me son." He gently said. Flack once again met the eyes he was afraid of losing, her eyes, in the face of the father.

"Don, you kept her as safe as you possibly could. You did you best." Horatio said, looking straight into the wet eyes of the younger man.

"My best? Yeah, but that wasn't enough, now was it?" Flack's voice was deep with regret and he looked down.

Horatio stood up and walked over to him. He gently lifted the younger man's face gently.

"Son, you did your best. It is enough. Yes, my daughter lies in that bed and she is badly hurt. She could have died, but there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. You know as well as I do that my daughter is a headstrong woman, bullheaded. And if she decides to do something, she will. She is like a force of nature when she sets her mind to it. One has better chance at stopping a hurricane than her." Horatio smiled wryly and drew Flack into a quick hug. She would be alright, it might take time, but she would be alright.

After Flack left, Horatio sat in the chair that the younger man had used earlier.

"Jackie, darling, you got a great friend in Don. I just wish that you had as good taste in lovers as you have in friends." Horatio was silent for awhile.

"But it doesn't matter princess. I love you and I cannot bear loosing you. I have lost so much already, but you have been the reason for me to continue. I know it would be easier to just let go and forget the pain that life is. But life can be a very beautiful thing, if you let it. So here's what I want you to do. I want you to hang in there and come back to us when you are ready." Horatio kissed her forehead and settled into a long vigil over his daughter.

In the mean time Mac and his team were working hard to catch the assailant. They had interviewed anyone and everyone who knew something about officer Caine. Many told them that Don Flack Jr. was the person closest to her, but he had not been at work for couple of days. So the team tried to reach him, but his phone was closed and he wasn't at home.

"Stella. Got any news of Flack's whereabouts?" Mac asked.

"Nothing and frankly it starts to worry me. His cell is still off…" Stella hit her head.

"Mac, we have overlooked the obvious. Of course his cell is off. If he is as close to officer Caine as everyone tell us…" She started

"…then he would be in the hospital." Mac finished for her.

And sure enough they found Flack in the hospital. He looked sad and tired. Stella was sure that he hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days. They both looked surprised at how miserable Flack was looking. They walked up to him.

Flack stood in the hall, looking through the glass. Jackie was still unconscious and Horatio had fallen asleep in the chair. His back would hurt, but Flack couldn't bring himself to interrupt them. Not yet.

"Flack." Mac said softly, not wanting to scare his friend out of his wits. "Could we have a word with you?"

Flack just stared ahead, like he hadn't a word that had been said. Mac opened his mouth to speak again, but Flack turned to face them. His eyes looked empty and Stella gasped.

"I can't believe it." He whispered.

"I deal with situations like this everyday at work. And now… now that it hit too close to home for comfort… I just can't… I can't deal." And he turned back, staring ahead with unseeing eyes. He was like a statue.

"Flack, we must ask you. How well do you know Officer Jaqueline Caine?" Stella asked.

Flack looked at her and sighed.

"Jackie… Jaqueline that is… is a dear friend. She is my best friend and an occasional lover. I can tell you her address, but then again you already know that. I can tell you her dress size and the size of her boots. I can tell you what kind of music she enjoys, her favorite food and drink, what kind of books she reads. I can tell you the names of her ex-boyfriends from the last three years. I can tell you that she likes Beretta better than Sig. But I can't tell you who did this, because I don't know." Flack said.

"But I have my suspicions."He added like the thought just occurred to him.

"Who do you suspect?" Mac asked curious. They had no suspects yet and he was getting frustrated.


	3. Last Stop Central Park

Disclaimer. I still do NOT own anything. I am STILL just playing. Ooh wait, I do own Jackie, so there nyah nyah nyah.

LAST STOP CENTRAL PARK

After Stella and Mac had left Flack alone, he decided that sleep actually sounded very good, so he did as Horatio had told him to. That was four days ago and still there was no change in Jackie. Her bruises were healing, she was healing, but still she was unconscious. One good thing in all of this was the fact that rape kit had come back negative, she had not been raped. Horatio and Flack were both relieved to hear this. I t was one thing less to worry about as the two men continued their vigil.

Mac and his team had been in and out questioning them. Flack had also given them his key to Jackie's apartment, Mac had raised an eyebrow at that, but did not ask. Horatio had just hidden a smile. With Flacks help they had been able to identify a suspect, Eric Felix, Jackie's boyfriend. They searched her apartment for evidence, for anything that would help them catch her assailant, anything that would tell them if Eric Felix was their man so to speak.

Jackie had met Eric in a bookstore. He had pumped into her and she had dropped her books, a classic move that. He acted like a gentleman, apologizing profusely and helping her pick up her books. They had started to talk and soon he was asking Jackie out. She had accepted his invitation with a blinding smile. Eric had been easy on her eyes. He had dark hair, cut nice and neat, grey pinstripe suit, blood red shit and tie of the same color. She liked that he was dressed smartly and stylishly. But most of all, she had loved his eyes, icy blue.

Eric and Jackie had gone out few days later, on a Friday night. He had taken her to a concert in a small club. The band was not famous, but they had a huge-ish underground following, and Eric and Jackie were both part of the following. Bullet Wound was their favorite and that gave them something more to talk about.

After that Friday the two went out as often as her work would allow. He sent her flowers, mostly roses. Sometimes he sent them to her work and sometimes she would be surprised at home. He made her smile and soon she was head over heels in love with him. And like any woman in live, she threw the caution in the wind and abandoned all common sense. Afterwards she would wonder what come into her; she was a smart woman, until she had fallen in love. But then, when the love was new, not even her best friend could get through to her. Flack had tried to warn her about him. Eric Felix was not what he claimed to be. In fact his name wasn't even Eric Felix, but Peter Hydeberger. And he was well known in the precinct, surely she knew that. But Jackie was a woman in love and told Flack to bugger off. But first she gave him a piece on her mind, true Jackie Caine style, for checking Eric's background and going behind her back. Flack apologized and she forgave him. He was after all her best friend. Flack decided then that he would not push the matter further, not yet. Now he felt like it was the biggest mistake of his life.

Peter Hydeberger had been the main suspect in at least a dozen of murder cases, but every time there had been a shortage of evidence and all of that had been circumstantial, not enough to convict him. So Peter had been free to do his thing again and this time his chosen target was Jaqueline. She was perfect in his eye. She was slim, but muscular, just the right way and her ocean blue eyes had been captivating, her smile intoxicating. Her fiery red hair had just been the icing on the cake, though he would be the first to admit that he was a fetishist for red hair.

The couple had talked about moving in together for a few times, but nothing had happened thus far. And Jackie had been glad about that when a week ago Flack's warnings started to make her doubt. She was getting suspicious of Eric because his behavior had changed. They did not go out anymore, he was talking that she should probably quit in her job, and he was jealous and possessive. So she decided to check if Flack had been actually telling the truth. She knew he was, but she was his father's daughter, so she would trust and verify. She ran the background check on Eric with mixed feelings. She was glad that Flack had not lied to her, but disappointed that Eric or was it Peter had lied to her. It made her mad and she felt foolish. Angry tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly wiped them away hoping that no one had seen her. _'Oh Donnie. You were just trying to protect me, weren't you…'_ She punched the table while staring madly at the computer. She draws some looks to her way and she smiled her most charming smile apologetically.

"Sorry guys. My computer just has a mind of its own." That caused a few rounds of chuckles; it was not the first time.

But it was the first time she lied to her coworkers, and she hoped that it would also be the last one. She was angry for the rest of the day. She was angry for letting Peter to fool her into believing that he was Eric and in love with her. She was angry at Don, for not pushing the matter with her when he knew truth. She could understand why he did it though; she did not want to loose him either. But most of all she was angry at herself for being so naïve.

When her sift ended, she changed her clothes and she tried to decide what to do, how to handle this. She decided to confront him, white hot anger burned through her veins as she climbed those familiar steps to his apartment. She knocked at the door and waited. She had a key, but she did not want to use it, not now, not ever again.

He opened the door. "Hey honey. Come on in."

She looked at him, those tears once again making their way to her eyes. All she wanted to do was to step into his arms and let him tell her that she was being ridiculous and that everything was going to be alright again. But she knew better. She stared into his eyes; she still loved him, still felt passion for him. But this was going to end now. She would lick her wounds later, in private with her two men, Ben and Jerry.

She took a step forward and slapped him with all her might. His head flew to the side comically and in other circumstance she would have laughed. She screamed at him that this was it, it was over.

"Here's your key Peter, you lying bastard. I don't want to see you ever again." She threw the key to his face and turned to leave and that was the moment, right there, when everything started to go to south and fast.

He grabbed her and dragged her in. He overpowered her easily despite all of her training. She just did not have time to react. She felt his fist as soon as the door closed behind them. The first hit had landed on her stomach and she bent over in pain.

"Oh dear, did that hurt?" he asked mockingly. She just wheezed, trying to gasp for air that had been knocked out of her.

"Oh darling, it really does look like you are in pain." his continue his voice having malice in it.

"You are going to pay for the sins of your father today. Just like those other women had to pay. They had to pay for the sins of your father. They had to die because your dad could not keep it in his pants." Jackie listened, her face showing surprise, _'What is he going on about?'_

"Oh don't look surprised dearie. You know my name; you know I am Peter Hydeberger son of James Hydeberger. Ringing any bells?" He asked, sounding quite calm?

Jackie kept quiet. She was trying to remember what her father had told him about her mother and their situation. The pain was distracting her and all she could remember was bits and pieces. But they were enough to tell her that he had picked her on purpose. She closed her eyes in desperation. He had never loved her and now she would probably die. All in all it was highly unlikely that she would survive this night. _'Why on earth did I come alone? Why did I not tell anyone where I was going? I was so sure that I could handle myself and him…'_

She did not see the fist coming close to her, he had moves silently, but she sure felt it. He knew what he was doing, keeping her in pain, so that she could not think straight or move a muscle without blinding pain. All she could do now was to accommodate herself to meet his fists so that it would soften the blows, even a little.

Then just as suddenly as the punches had started, they stopped. She was bleeding, feeling weak and couldn't move. But she was conscious.

So she just lay there. She heard him moving around, time ticked by slowly. She knew she needed to get out of there, but when she tried to move the pain came back and she groaned. She heard him coming near. She felt his breath on her neck as he smirked.

"Planning to escape doll?"

She turned her head ignoring the pain and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" She wheezed.

"This is so much fun, such a splendid way to spend my Thursday evening." Her sarcasm was still intact.

He laughed.

"Oh you. I have to admit that I always liked your humor, admired your spirit. I still do such a waste to break it. It is such a waste to kill you, but unfortunately it is necessary."

As he spoke he had calmly been twirling a kitchen knife in his hands. The two stared at each other. Her eyes still mirrored her wild spirit. She was staring Death straight into the eyes, not backing down. Her eyes were the complete opposite of his. Blue they both were, but his were empty and cold.

He broke the contact and moved with great speed, the knife hit her and again and again and again, until she knew no more. He gently touched her hair and whispered "All beauty must die."

He wrapped her in a piece of plastic and somehow managed to carry her and her handbag into his car. He put her in his trunk and locked it. Then he jumped behind the wheel and drove off. He drove around for hours waiting for the right moment to drop her off. He stopped to watch the sunset; he loved how the setting sun made the skyline look, and it was like the town was on fire. He also went through her handbag and found her badge. He took a long moment to look at it, it was her, and she was it. She was a cop and a good one at that. But it did not matter. He would be away before there would be any evidence against him.

He waited until midnight to drop her off, last stop Central Park. He put her down gently after seeing that no one was watching. He put her badge on top of her chest, a little dignity for her. He couldn't help himself, he admired her, even respected her. But this had to happen, for the sins of the father. He left and did not look back. But tried as hard as he might, he could not forget her or ignore the small voice in the back of his head… he missed her.


	4. A Kiss for a Snow White

disclaimer. I still do not own, darn it.

**A KISS FOR A SNOW WHITE**

Mac was happy, they had worked hard and finally the case was solved. Jackie's neighbors, well the ladies that worked close by at night, had been a lot of help. "Nobody would hurt their girl."Had been what they had told Mac. _'Ladies my ass, very, very masculine ladies they were.'_ Mac snorted to himself. Ladies or gentlemen, it did not matter, the only thing that had any meaning right now, was the fact that Peter was behind bars, and would be for the rest of his life and then some.

Mac's team had caught that scumbag when he was trying to flee the state spooked. He had heard that Jackie was in hospital and would most probably survive. He did not want to get caught, not even now when he had had his revenge. He wanted a fresh start somewhere new, change his name, and be in the self proclaimed witness protection program so to speak. But in his haste to leave the City he had made the most common mistake, he had become sloppy and that is when Mac's team had gotten onto him.

He had been brought to interrogation and that had continued for hours. All the cops wanted to rip his head off for what he had done to one of them, but they needed to stay calm, and be professionals. In the end it was Stella and detective Angell that got him to confess. Maybe Peter had been afraid of two angry women who packed heat or maybe he had just realized that he had no way out, the evidence all pointed to him. So he confessed. He confessed to the attempted murder of officer Caine and a dozen other murders that had happened mostly in New York and Miami, but few in Washington and Las Vegas.

Mac had called Horatio as soon as he could, to tell the good news. Mac had never known Horatio for being a vindictive person, but if Horatio had his way Peter would never see the sun again. He would travel to Miami and have a hot date with the electric chair or intoxicatingly good time with the lethal injection. Even Mac, who had seen a lot in his life, recoiled when he heard Horatio's voice, it was cold. Mac knew that Horatio could be dangerous, but he had never realized just how much and he was glad that Horatio had decided to become a cop instead of running where the darker kids run. One way or the other, life was not going to be sunny for Peter.

Mac was on his way to the hospital. He still wanted to talk with Horatio, now that the culprit had been caught, maybe they could chat like friends again. And Mac wanted to see how Flack was doing, he had taken his hard earned vacation days and stayed there all the while they were hunting for Peter. That had raised some question in the precinct and in his team. Though Messer seemed to know what was going on with Flack. He was worried, but did not tell them. He just said that it was not his place to reveal the secrets of his friend, when it had nothing to do with the case.

Mac had never seen his friend act like this before and it intrigued him. And suddenly it hit him. _'Friend and occasional lover, there's more to it than that, there has to be, or all this won't make any sense. The way Don is acting… he feels so much more towards her than just the lust of casual sex partners or 'just' friends. I think he loves her, but is too scared to admit it… to himself and to her.'_

Mac reached the hospital and parked his car. _'That has to be it. He loves her. He wouldn't take his vacation days and spend them in the hospital if the person in hospital wouldn't mean the world to him. Not when there's a possible cop killer on loose.'_

Mac marched through the sterile halls deep in thought. When he got closer to his destination, he saw his redheaded friend outside Jackie's room. _'I hope that everything is alright.'_

"Horatio." Mac called out gaining the man's attention.

"Mac, what are you doing here? I thought you would be drowning in the paper work." Horatio smiled tiredly. Mac was taken aback. Horatio looked more tired than he had ever seen. Dark circles under his eyes and the eyes; they held a deep sadness in them even when they twinkled with humor. Mac was afraid that if something happened to Jackie, those eyes would be haunted evermore.

Mac smiled. "Well Stella offered to help me out."

"You bribed her, you mean." Horatio laughed. He knew how much the brunette hated the paper work.

"She offered. That's my story and I am sticking to it." Mac grinned relieved. If Horatio was joking then nothing bad had happened.

"Actually Horatio I am here to take you out in the fresh air. Want some coffee? My treat." Mac continued.

"Coffee sounds great." Horatio smiled. The truth was that he was on the verge of breaking down and any distraction was welcome. He was relieved that Jackie was alive, but worried that she had not woken up, not once since the attack. He was starting to wonder would he hear her voice ever again. Horatio wanted to see Peter dead, he hated him, and he hated him like only a father can.

"I just wish Jackie would be able to come with us." Horatio whispered.

Mac squeezed his shoulder. "I know there isn't anything I can say that makes you feel any better. I don't know her personally, but the people I talked with during the investigation… all her coworkers are very fond of her. They miss her; all of them keep saying that precinct seems a darker place already without her in it." Mac was silent for awhile.

"She's a great cop Horatio. You should be proud of her. Just one question though, care to enlighten me, why people keep calling her the bulldozer?"

Horatio laughed softly at this. "I am proud of her Mac. And the story about the name, I'll tell you over the coffee."

"Well let's not just stand here in the hall then. I am curious." Mac grinned.

"Alright, I'll just tell Don." Horatio turned to go in, but froze.

"Horatio? What's wrong?" Mac asked hurriedly, immediately worried. All the humor gone.

"Nothing is wrong." Horatio assured him. "Tell me, dear friend. Do you see what I see?" Horatio asked pointing towards Jackie's room.

Mac looked and smiled. "Yes Horatio. I see what you see." And he did. The two men saw a young man in love.

"He loves her." Horatio told Mac.

"I figured as much." Mac answered as they watched the sweet scene.

Flack was holding Jackie's hand and petting her tangled hair. He gently tucked one stubborn curl behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her smooth cheek. A soft smile was playing on his lips, lighting up the tired face.

Horatio opened the door, hating to interrupt Flack. "Don." He called; the younger man turned his attention to Horatio.

"Mac is buying coffee. Want to come with us?" Horatio asked.

"No thanks. You go." Don said turning his gaze back to Jackie.

Mac took a good look at his young friend and he was shocked. If Mac had thought that Horatio look haunted and tired, Flack looked ten times worse. His bright eyes were now dull; his skin was pale, too pale, almost gray. His hair was dirty and tangled. He had dark circles under his eyes just like Horatio. And it looked like he had lost some weight.

"Do you want us to bring something for you when we get back? You look like you need some coffee and something to eat, maybe a sandwich or two." He asked.

"Yeah. That sounds good." Flack answered in dull voice, like the discussion could not interest him any less.

He looked at Jackie. "Darling, Peter's behind bars, you are safe. You can wake up now, you are safe." He whispered to her.

He did not remember that there were others in the room too, nor did he notice when they left. Horatio and Mac shared a look of mutual understanding. This whole thing was hurting Flack more than anyone else. And it was heartbreaking thing to see.

Flack sat silently by her side. He did not know how long, time had lost all meaning when he had heard that Jackie had been attacked.

"Jackie, honey, please wake up." He begged kissing her cheek.

Flack was happy that they had taken out the tube that had been stuck down her throat when she had first arrived. Now she was breathing on her own; her ribs were healing and so was her arm. The wounds had closed a long time ago. She would carry the scars for the rest of her life, but to him, they only made her more beautiful.

"I am sorry I couldn't protect you." Flack whispered brokenly. Silent sobs shaking his body. He was so tired, so scared.

"You tried." A small, parched voice answered.


	5. Mummy Dearest

**disclaimer. I still own nothing you recognize, Jolene is named after Dolly Parton song and that is also her description is the song. **

MUMMY DEAREST

Flack looked at her shocked and found those familiar eyes looking at him, he choked her name as tears started to fall. Jackie looked at him warmly, she wasn't completely sure why she was in hospital, but in hospital she was and it had to be pretty bad if her Don cried.

"Jackie, love. Don't you dare to scare me like that… Ever. Again!" Flack said, wiping away the tears. That small act took away the harsh edge of his words.

"Aye, Aye, cap'n." She whispered her voice still raspy. A small smile graced her face for a while then it twisted into a grimace as the pain took over.

"I'll call the nurse." Flack told her and pressed the call button. And soon enough the nurse came in to check what was the matter and Flack felt himself being pushed away. Quickly Jackie's bed was surrounded by a dozen hospital personnel; they were like bees buzzing around her. She stared at Flack as long as she could and he stared back, secrets shared between the two. But all too soon the doctor wanted to get Jackie's attention and Flack slipped out.

As the door closed behind him, Flack bent over with emotion and quietly he sank to the floor. And he cried, he cried for Jackie, for himself, for Horatio, but most of all he cried because he was so relieved and because the stress of the past few weeks was leaving his tired mind making room for other feelings.

When he felt he had collected himself and felt he could speak, he fished his phone from his pocket and dialed.

_Meanwhile in a nearby café…_

The two older men sat in a table and stared out of the window, silently nursing their beverages of choice. Deep in thought they watched the people bustling outside, people that were completely unaware of a tragedy that almost happened, ignorant of being watched. Or not caring.

Mac took another sip and watched his friend watch the people outside.

"So, why do they call her a bulldozer?"

Horatio smiled widely, the wrinkles around his eyes became more noticeable, but he did not take his eyes of the people outside. After a while he put his drink on the table and started the story, finally looking at Mac.

Mac realized that this was actually something that Horatio took great pleasure in, Jackie was a subject that guaranteed a warm smile from the redheaded man.

"Do you remember how keen and passionate you were about this job when you were just out of the academy?" Horatio asked.

"Yes, I do. It felt like we could make some real difference in the world." Mac Answered.

"I still believe we can do a difference and so does that daughter of mine. Well when she was a rookie cop, she was even more passionate about her job than she is today.

And one day she was making an arrest in a bad neighborhood and the culprit decided to take a run for it. He took off like bat out of h*ll, she was hot on his heels and her partner was right behind. Jackie had been patrolling in that neighborhood quite often so she knew it pretty well. She and her partner chased the culprit for sometime when she told her partner that she would try to surprise the bad egg from another direction, she took a shortcut through some alleys and it so happened that she was soon standing in front of the man they were chasing and she tackled him to the ground and put him in the irons, reading him his rights. Her partner later swore that the culprit was mumbling something about a bulldozer when she was reading him his rights. And that my friend is why they call her a bulldozer and if they are still calling her that… I guess she is still pretty keen, even after ten years on the job." Horatio finished his story with a laugh and took another sip and found his cup empty.

He ordered another cup of coffee. He had really missed the stuff, he was sick of the poison hospital cafeteria was trying to sell as coffee. It was blasphemy.

"Bulldozer or not, after all she has bee through, she is more like a willful stray cat, full of bride and freedom, bearing wounds that cannot be healed." Horatio added after awhile.

Mac agreed and the suddenly chuckled. "Well that does definitely answer my question." Mac needed one more answer, to the most important question, one more answer to understand the whole picture. Everything is after all connected.

"Horatio." He started and gained the other man's attention. "Where is her mother?"

Mac gated the subtle mind games and so did Horatio and that is why Mac knew Horatio could and probably would appreciate his bluntness. Beating around the bush would be counterproductive at this point. Horatio did not need sugarcoated and gently veiled questions, life was harsh and he knew it. Mac felt sorry for Horatio, but he was fascinated by the face of his friend, how it changed, darkened.

"Somewhere, six feet under I hope." Horatio barked effectively startling Mac. He did not know his friend could be so vindictive.

"Now Horatio, you know that isn't the smartest thing to say in front of a cop and a CSI." Mac said, voice and face neutral. "Then again at the moment I am just an old friend from New York." He finished smirking.

"Thank you Mac." Horatio said. His face still shadowed by the darkness that crossed it earlier.

"The past is something I don't discuss often. Actually I don't think I have talked about it after Jackie wanted some clarification years ago. My past is something I don't want to remember, this is something I don't want to remember." Horatio was silent. "And then something always happens forcing me to face it all over again… And you do deserve to know."

Horatio sighed and started his second story for the day. "This is not a fairytale, not something pretty and beautiful where two people fall in love and live happily ever after. This is a story about a foolish young man who fell in love with Wicked Witch of the West." He paused.

"I was just 23, very young, so very young, a cop with no name so to speak, no parents and no fortune. All I had was my job and I was good at it, I loved my job and I was happy with my life. This job has always been more to me than a regular paycheck. I had air in my lungs, food on my table when I had time to make it, roof on top my head." Horatio smiled the suddenly the smile turned devilish."And all the women I wanted."

Mac laughed out loud, he could tell those were good memories.

Suddenly Horatio grimaced "Then I met… HER. Jolene Morgan."

Mac was flabbergasted "Morgan? Jolene Morgan? As in the daughter of George Morgan, the Hotel Tycoon?"

Horatio laughed at the look on his friend's face "Don't be so dumbfounded ear friend, I was very good looking back then. Yes, the daughter of George Morgan."

"Oh, shut it. And if I were to ask that waitress, she would say that you still are good looking." Mac grinned.

"Hey. Do you want to hear the story or not?" Horatio asked acting irritated.

"Yes, yes. Don't get so annoyed." Mac threw back smiling.

"Well then, don't distract me." Horatio said indignantly, though smiling widely.

"Back to the story, Jolene was something else entirely. She had flaming locks of auburn hair, ivory skin and eyes of emerald green. Jackie has that same skin, though my eyes and hair and thank goodness her temper is more like mine. Jolene's smile was like a breath of spring and her voice was soft like a summer rain. If only I had known then what I know now, her temper was like autumn cold and bleak, her heart was like winter, icy." Horatio tried not be a bitter man, but these memories brought back the young man, who suffered greatly at the hands of this woman. Horatio didn't let this side of him see the daylight very often.

"No, I was hasty. If I knew what I know now, I would not have Jackie. I guess in the end there really is a silver lining to every cloud. And for what it's worth, I really loved Jolene. She had the body of a goddess, she was a dream come true. We had so much fun together. We were young and red blooded humans, so you can bet that we ended up in bed shortly after we had met. I was in paradise. We met as much as my job would allow. The days had never been that long before, all day or night I wished that I could be her. She was the sun of my personal universe." Horatio paused again, staring out of the window. Tears had started forming in his eyes and he didn't want Mac to see how much this hurt him. Mac looked down into his drink and didn't push it. He knew Horatio would tell him in his own pace.

Horatio's voice was low when he continued. "Later I found out that Jolene was engaged, she was the fiancée of one James Hydeberger. When he found out what Jolene had been doing and that she was pregnant with my kid, he left her. And I really cannot blame him. I did the same thing after all when I found out that she was engaged. When I found out that she was pregnant with my kid, at first I did not know what to do. I panicked." Horatio paused again.

"It was a scandal when the world found out that Jolene was with a child and the father of the baby was not the man she was engaged to. Jolene's and James' marriage was arranged, a merger of two powerful families. She had broken the rules before they had said their 'I do's'. Her father came to my place to speak few days after the pregnancy had become a public knowledge. He wanted to know what I planned to do. He was really nice about everything, he knew his daughter.

I told him the truth. At first I had panicked, but now I wanted the child very much and I wanted to be part of its life as much as I could. He just smiled. He knew I would say that or so he claimed. I told him that it felt like Jolene had ripped my heart out. I mean if she had been truthful to me from the beginning I might still be friends with her. I would not have taken her to my bed. Marriage is sacred and engagement is a promise of marriage. But she had chosen lies.

And because I wanted to be part of the baby's life, I was prepared to be civil to her. That is if Jolene decided to keep the child.

George smiled and told me that that was all he wanted to hear. We agreed that I would keep the details to myself, that was the deal and I have stuck to it. He stood up and walked to the door where he stopped. He said to me. 'Horatio, you are a good man and I see a great deal of myself in you.' And then he walked out." Horatio was far away, in the past.

"Jolene was pregnant; she decided to keep the child. Not because she was particularly fond of the baby, but because she thought abortion was murder. I did everything in my power to ensure their well being. And they were doing fine and why wouldn't they be.. Morgan's had the money to buy the best care in the world. Jolene hated being pregnant, she hated that she couldn't go to a party in a small little dress and be the center of the attention, she hated that she couldn't drink the night away. She loved to be the center of attention." Horatio's voice quite sarcastic when he paused.

"When she was starting to show more and more, she became even more unbearable. She blamed me and the baby for ruining her perfect figure. She was like a spoiled child whose favorite toy had been taken away. Despite the circumstances, I was happy; I was going to be a father." Horatio smiled fondly at that.

"The months went by fast, and finally it was time for Jolene to give birth. Late at night, on September 13th, she gave birth to Jaqueline Scarlett Morgan. After 25 hours in labor my child cried for the first time, and for the first time she was faced with her mother's anger. Not even her baby smell could melt the heart of chrome of her mother. I on the other hand was quite teary. Jackie was so beautiful. I counted her fingers and toes, she was perfect. I adored her from that moment on and so did George.

Jolene's mother, Marlene, sided with her daughter. I couldn't understand why someone could be so cold towards an infant, but George knew his wife. To this day it baffles me, how George can stand his wife. I guess she must have some redeeming qualities.

I spent as much time with Jackie as I could. I was the one who changed her diapers, fed her, comforted her; I was the one who stayed up all night when she was sick. I, George or the nanny Jolene hired. I don't remember Jolene ever picking Jackie up to hug her or to cuddle with her. It could have happened though after all I wasn't there all the time.

When Jackie grew up, she was always shadowing me or her grandpa. When she was 10 she knew more about forensics and hotels than Barbie's. She was always asking questions about my job or George's, or she was reading anything and everything she could get her hands on.

She hated to be with her mother and grandmother. They tried to turn my tomboy into a lady of high breeding and it seemed that nothing Jackie did was enough for those two. So in the end Jackie didn't even try and the hard work of the two older women was in vain." Mac noted that every time they talked about Jackie, Horatio's voice was warm. Jackie obviously was precious to Horatio, his only child. Mac wondered if Horatio was an overprotective father, but dismissed the idea quickly. If he was, Jackie wouldn't be a cop.

"When Jackie graduated it was time to talk about her future. Jolene wanted her to go to Ivy League college, like Harvard or Yale; she had been accepted into five different colleges. I just wanted to be happy and do what made her happy. Of course I wished that things where better for her than they had been for me, all parents tend to do that, even when they don't admit it.

Jackie listened what her mother had to say, but then said that she had already decided where she would go. She wanted to be a cop, like her daddy was. I couldn't be more proud of her than I was at that moment. Jolene and Marlene were scandalized, a female police officer. It was unheard of in their social circles, what would their friends say? They did what they could to stop her. They tried to forbid her, but Jackie had my blessing and George's too. So Jolene did a desperate act. She told to Jackie that if she went through with her plan to become a cop, she would no longer have a mother, she would disown her.

Jackie remained calm, which was a feat for her. She told to Jolene that it really was sad that she thought so, but she would not take away her dream. Jackie's voice was too calm when she said that Jolene could disown her if she wanted to, because she had never really been a mother anyway, the nanny had been more mother to her than Jolene. Jackie walked out and never looked back. She knew that I would be there when she needed me and George would always be there to guide her and to love her. She took my name and become what she wanted to be." Horatio was proud of her. But that light left his eyes quickly, it was there and then it was gone.

"And now she lies in that bed, so small. Just because James' son thought the past mistakes needed to be punished. I want to help my darling girl somehow, but I don't think I can, I feel so useless, so frustrated…" Horatio's fist came in contact with the table, startling some of the other patrons in the café. Mac looked at them apologized.

"I am so sorry Horatio." Mac said.

"So am I Mac, so am I…" Horatio mumbled.

"This does however explain why she did not show up or even return our call. We tried to contact her when we contacted you. Her personal assistant told us that Miss Morgan did not have a child and then she hung up. This happened a few times." Mac told Horatio.

Then he continued. "But why hasn't Mr. Morgan been here?"

"He is in San Francisco. He is hospital himself, a car accident. He claims to be fine and annoys the nurses, but the doctors aren't letting him go just yet." Horatio chuckled.

"Oh, yes. I heard about it in the news. just didn't connect the dots. "Mac smiled.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud " Dadddyyyyyyyyyyyyy, answer the phoooooooooooneeeeeee." Horatio grinned embarrassed, "I wanted to hear her voice." and answered his phone. Mac smiled, it seemed like Jackie had played with her dad's phone and recorded that.

"Really?" Horatio's smile couldn't get any wider. "She woke up?" He was silent again, listening. "I'll be there in a flash." Horatio's face bore no reminder of darkness or tiredness. He looked truly happy. He looked at Mac who shooed him away.

"Go on already, you girl needs you. I'll take care of the bill." Horatio smiled gratefully and ran out of the door. Mac smiled, everything would be alright.


	6. Reunion

**REUNION**

Horatio rushed to the hospital, he was like a tornado. He hadn't ran that fast ever before and to some people he was just a blur passing them. Only one thought ran through his mind, _'Jaqueline is awake, she is finally awake, I have to be there. I want to see her, make sure that this isn't some figment of imagination.'_

When he arrived he was huffing and puffing, he wasn't as young as he used to be after all. Flack, who was standing in the hall watching the hospital staff work their magic on Jackie, turned to him with an amused expression on his face.

"Wow, you really got here fast. Did you run? The whole way?" He asked.

Horatio tried to regain his breath.

"Yes." he wheezed and shrugged that was all he was capable of doing. He sat down and slowly his breathing returned to normal. He was sipping the water Flack had fetched for him. Horatio watched Flack watching the hospital staff. He knew Flack was in his life for good now. He had seen how the younger man cared for his precious girl, how he had tried to protect her. In return Horatio would protect him. A small private smile graced his lips for awhile.

"Don, son, how is she?"

"I really don't know." Flack answered and sat down heavily. He was staring into nothingness and Horatio was beginning to get worried.

"After you left with Mac… I told her… I was so, so sorry that I could not protect her. I still am you know." Flack lowered his head in shame as tears began to flood his eyes again. In the last few days he had cried more than he could remember crying since his mother's death.

"Don, please, look at me." Horatio said, his voice low, soothing. And Don couldn't help, but obey and the look on his face broke Horatio's heart. He wiped away the tears of the younger man like he would wipe the tears of a child. He kept Don's head between his hands and looked him in the eyes.

"Don, we have been through this before. You must stop blaming yourself. It was not your fault, none of it was. You must start believing it, you must believe that you are a good man and there was nothing you could do."

"I don't know if I can forgive myself, I just don't know…" Flack confessed.

"I know it is hard. Just remember son, you did all you could." Flack smiled weakly. He took a moment to collect himself and then continued.

"Well after I finished talking to her, I heard a small raspy voice whispering to me, telling me that I had tried. She heard me talking, understood what I was saying and answered." There was sadness in Don's eyes, but his smile was brighter than it had been in long, long while. He was glad he could smile again, even if it was through the tears.

"I was shocked and I looked down and I saw her blue eyes looking at me. They were as blue as I remembered them to be, just like yours." Don grinned a little embarrassed. Horatio smiled, he knew that Jackie had his eyes.

"Sounds like my little pixie."

"I smiled at her and told her that should she ever scare me like that again I would have her hide. If she could have grinned without pain I know I would have gotten a cheeky comment and a grin in return. Her humor seemed to be intact as she answered aye, aye, Sir. Then I got pushed out of the room and I called you."

The men knew that the road to recovery would be long and bumpy, but she was awake. And with lighter hearts the two men sat waiting, side by side. Doctors and nurses buzzed around Jackie like angry bees and the men had nothing to do, but wait. Thankfully the wait wasn't as long as the men had feared, though every minute seemed like a day.

A man in a white coat came out of Jackie's room and the two men rose from their seats.

"Mr Caine?" the man in the white coat asked.

Horatio answered. "Yes. I am detective Horatio Caine and my companion here is detective Don Flack." Horatio would have found the man's expression hilarious in other circumstances.

The doctor was shocked. Two high profile cops waiting for news from him, this is something he would definitely tell to his wife at the dinner table. He recovered quickly and started talking.

"Mr Caine, your daughter is very lucky to be alive, she is strong, a fighter. We checked her thoroughly and she is healing nicely, better than expected. There should be no lasting damage physically, but we cannot be 100 percent sure, but the odds are very good. Her bruises have already started to fade and some of them are already gone. She will carry some scars for the rest of her life and quite frankly gentlemen, I am worried about what kind of mental scars she has to deal with. Scars on the skin will heal and fade with time, but mental scars are so much more lasting, hopefully those will fade with time too. But in my professional opinion she might need some help with those." The doctor was quiet for awhile, letting his words sink in and then continued.

"We will have to keep her in for a little while longer, to allow her time to heal. She needs to rest, but she has been asking for you detectives, both of you." he said turning to go, but stopped and turned back to face the men. "Pardon me for saying this, but I think she would be a pain is the butt if we didn't permit the two of you to see her. So you have the permission, but I must tell you once again, that she needs to rest, so no upsetting her, no guilt trips either." Horatio and Don agreed and nodded their heads, anxious to be with Jackie. The doctor turned to go and smiled when he heard Don's comment.

"Cheeky fellow that one."

They entered Jackie's room and Flack stayed a little behind. He had after all seen Jackie awake already, but her father hadn't. He watched as Horatio smoothed some curls away from her face and smiled gently, it was a touching reunion.

Horatio smiled. "Hey baby, how are you feeling?" Horatio was almost in tears with relief as Jackie opened her eyes and smiled a tiny smile.

"I am fine daddy."

"Darling Jackie, always so brave, but please, honey, do not lie to me. I know you better." Horatio admonished gently.

"Fine daddy, I feel like crap, but better now that you two are here. And while I am still in pain, it is bearable, I actually remember hurting even more at some point, and this stuff is really good." Jackie lifted the arm she had the IV on. Horatio laughed.

"Yes, hospitals have some really good stuff. Not that I would know anything about that of course." He tried to look innocent.

"Of course not. You would not know anything about it. How many times have you been in hospital because you have been injured? Hmmm." Jackie questioned him.

"Hush you; you are delirious with pain meds."Horatio quickly said.

Flack was silently laughing at the two bantering. It definitely seemed like Jackie would be alright.

"What are you doing there alone? Cackling like a maniac. It makes you seem a little loony... Come here." Jackie commanded. She was the general and the two men where her troops.

Flack had a brief moment of pure fear, when he heard Jackie asking him what he was doing there. _'Did se blame him after all?' _But he relaxed quickly when she continued and he walked closer slowly. He was smiling.

"I was just giving the two of you a family moment."

"Well more the reason for you to come here then…" Jackie started, lifting her uninjured hand to seize his larger one.

"…you are part of our little family now, whether you want to or not." Horatio finished the sentence for her.

Flack was speechless.


	7. Fragile

**FRAGILE**

The rain beat down the streets, it was one of those rains that came with vengeance, the kind of rain that felt like knives if one happened to be outside. A storm was brewing, the low growling on thunder could be heard from distance and it was coming closer with every second, soon it would be right on top of them. This made the woman on a windowsill smile with dark fascination.

Jackie was the one sitting on the windowsill smiling darkly. There were no lights on in her apartment, no music, nothing and she liked it that way. Only the rain was drumming against the window, making her reflection distorted. Her tea was forgotten though she was still gripping the mug in her hands. She loved storms, the lightning's that lit up the sky in their deadly dance. She admired the lethal power they held; she was fascinated by the raw power that could cause so much damage, the destruction they could leave behind. Lives ruined in a split of a second. She could identify with the victims, damaged beyond repair. True, they could pick up the pieces and glue them back together and on the outside she would look whole, but inside she was in pieces, she would never be whole again, not like she used to be. That innocence was stolen from her, and innocence once lost can never be regained.

Jackie sighed deeply. She had seen too much, been through even more. And now she didn't know what to do. Outside the dark apartment the gray skies continued to pour, it didn't care about the problems of people.

Unfortunately for Flack, he was one of those people who had to be outside in the storm. He was chasing after a perp, Messer was hot on his heels. _'Why these idiots always run?'_ he was cursing in his mind. His suit was ruined by the rain and mud, the raindrops struck like a slap against his cheeks, painful.

Very soon a satisfied smile spread on his face as he noticed the culprit taking a wrong turn and ending up in an alley, it was a dead end. He ran a little faster and sure enough he caught the miscreant just as he was looking for a place to hide.

"Wrong day to run punk, I am pissed of at you, I hate running." Flack grumbled. Messer grinned.

"You should take a note on that. No more stupid stunts like this. You have the right to remain silent…"

The wannabe gangsta was badmouthing them the whole time they had to walk to the waiting car, until Flack growled.

"You have the right to remain silent. Use it." The last part was uttered so low that the perp knew he had the high time to shut up. He had some self preservation left in him after all.

Horatio cursed rarely, but now he was in a foul mood. He was caught in the rain, and now his hair was dripping over his eyes making it hard to see properly and the rain didn't help either with his problem. He had heard at least a dozen accidents on his outing. Sirens were howling all around the city, police cars, fire engines, ambulances, they were all out. _'Hopefully this storm will end soon as soon as it came.' _It had been cloudy when he had left Jackie sleeping and written her a note that he was outside shopping for groceries and picking up the dry-cleaning.

He let out a relieved breath when he pushed the button in the elevator. Just few more seconds and he would be home and he could take a warm shower, he didn't want to catch a cold and now he was shivering. He opened the door to Jackie's penthouse apartment and lit the lights making Jackie groan when the lights hit her eyes that were used to the dark.

"Sorry honey." He smiled.

"Mmmmmmyeah." Jackie slurred back, her voice was hoarse, she had not spoken a word on that day and her vocal chords were protesting.

Horatio smiled when he took note what his daughter was doing. She was still just as fascinated with storms as she had been when she was just a little girl.

Horatio put the groceries on the kitchen table and placed their clothes beside them. He wanted that shower now, the food could wait. Jackie heard the shower turning on and sometime later off. She did not move an inch. She knew she probably should have helped to put the groceries in the fridge and cupboards, but was just a fleeting thought in her head and soon it was forgotten.

Horatio dried off and put on some clean and most of all dry clothes and stepped back to the living room area and frowned when he saw how still Jackie sat. Oh, he didn't care if Jackie helped him with the house hold chores, but he was getting worried. It was obvious to his scientific mind that her therapy was not helping her. She did not go outside until she absolutely had to, she did not eat properly and she did not sleep much, few hours here and there. That is no way to live. But he felt so helpless; he did not know what to do.

So he busied himself putting the groceries where they belonged and loaded the coffee machine and turned it on. Then he placed their dry-cleaned clothes in their respective bedrooms. He then poured the coffee in two mugs and added some cocoa. He took the mugs and walked to the windowsill. He placed one of the mugs on a table beside it and took Jackie's cold tea mug from her hands and put that one beside the other. He was happy when he noticed a book on the table too. A much worn copy of Wuthering Heights. She had at least tried to read some while he had been out.

"Honey, Here's some coffee and cocoa for you." He gave Jackie her mug and took his and sat across from her, their feet touching. "And for me too." Jackie smiled a little and sipped some. Together they watched as the storm raged on filling the silence with its own music.

Soon Horatio was roused from his thought by soft sobs. He put his mug on the table and opened his arms for Jackie and soon he had his sobbing daughter in his arms. He hugged her tight and let her cry. When her sobs quieted he asked. "Want to talk about it?"

She hiccupped. "I was just thinking about the storm, how beautiful it is, how lethal. Mother Nature is showing her true nature every once in a while. The storm has raw power in it and once again we humans shake with fear in front of her power. We thought that we had enslaved her, but she is strong and tough and in the end we lose. And then I started to think how messed up I am, how much I am like the victims whose lives are changed because a lightning strikes… beyond repair."

Horatio hugged her tighter. "Honey, you are like her, the Mother Nature, in so many ways. You also are a lot of tougher than you think. You have raw power in you, wild and untamable and that is what draws people in. You have such a zest for life. And while you have changed by what you have been through and there is new darkness in you, maybe it is not all bad. The darkness might be frightening, but if you listen to your senses, it will guide you wisely for not all darkness is bad or wrong. You just need time to come to terms with that, with what you are now. And no matter what you decide to do, I am here and I love you."

Fresh tears made their way from her eyes to her chin and from there to her shirt and his, soaking them both.

"Oh, daddy, I am not so sure about that. I don't feel tough or strong. I feel scared. I don't think I have ever been this scared before. And I am afraid that I cannot go back to work because I don't feel comfortable going out or being surrounded by strange people, loud noises make me jump and that damn shrink is no good son of a…." Jackie was breathing hard, but she continued.

"I love my job, but I am so afraid that I will never be fit enough to go back. I feel stupid and worthless, vulnerable." Her small frame shook with the force of her sobs.

"I feel so stupid for falling for him in the first place; I cannot believe how easily I fell in love with him. I hate myself for still loving that douchebag… and I do still love him, but I also despise him, I hate him with more passion than I ever loved him. And there's this small voice in my head telling me that maybe, just maybe I deserved all I got.

I just so confused with all I am feeling. Why didn't he love me? Am I really that worthless that no man could ever love me just as I am? Now I am damaged goods…"

She dropped to the floor as her legs gave out, she couldn't even remember standing up. Then she suddenly hit the floor with her fists repeatedly. "I want to smash something, bring me a piñata and a baseball pat. I want to fight, I need to fight, and all this adrenaline in my system cannot be good. And that bloody scumbag didn't even give me a change to fight back. Weaseling idiot he was. I hate him, I loathe him, despise, abhor…" She was lying on the floor, crying and hiccupping and trying to breathe.

Horatio gently lifted her in his arms and sat on the couch holding her, soothing her.

"This is not your fault, none of this. I don't know why he didn't love you, but there are many people, men and female who love you. Some romantically, some as friends, but none the less they love you. I think half of the police force loves you, here and in Las Vegas and in Miami. I have received text messages and emails asking how you are. And so on... The undersheriff from Las Vegas asked after you a lot and so did Gil Grissom and most of his team and my team and believe it or not I even got a worried message from Stetler.

And darling, you are not stupid. Heart does not think logically, heart has power over brains. You can plead temporary insanity." Horatio was trying to calm her and lift her spirits at the same time, not an easy task, but from the twinkle in her eyes, he thought he succeeded. Watching her had broken his heart, she was in pain and this one he couldn't make go away. So he sat there, smoothing her hair.

Jackie fell asleep in the strong embrace of her hero; her head in the crook of her father's neck, her daddy was her very own superman.

Horatio hoped that this Jackie would sleep few more hours without nightmares, her screams of terror had waken him up too many times. It was painful for him and for her too. He wished he could help her somehow. He sighed and gently tucked Jackie in. He walked to the bookshelves and ran his hands on the back of the books. Finally he picked one and went back to the couch and started reading.

Sometime later he felt eyes on him and he closed the book.

"How are you feeling pixie?" he asked.

"Better." Jackie told him. "You are better shrink than mine has been. Ever thought of changing a career?"

"You look better too. And no I haven't, but thank you." he smiled.

"Read to me daddy." Jackie requested.

"On one condition, I make you something to eat and you eat it while I read. Okay?" He asked.

"I am not hungry." She shook her head.

"You have barely eaten in the past few weeks. You need to eat and you are eating. I will make something light. Please." Horatio looked at her pleadingly, his eyes big and round.

"Fine, just as long as you stop looking at me like that." She groaned. "That's my weapon." she added.

Horatio laughed and went to the kitchen. There he realized that he was still carrying the book, so he placed in on the table. He cooked some rice and mixed it with tuna and added some tomatoes and cucumber into the mix. He poured orange juice into a glass and grabbed his book and slowly made his way back to the living room area.

He placed the plate in front of his daughter and then gave her the orange juice.

"Please, honey, try to eat as much as you can."

"I'll try daddy, but only if you read to me." She took her fork and waited.

"Go on, I'll read to you." he told her and sat down opening his book.

"_No explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were_

_there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant)" _

When he stopped Jackie commented.

"I didn't think you were the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas kind of guy. Or The kind of guy who reads Hunter S. Thompson."

"Well shows what you know. You old man is a mystery for you. I think that this is the third time I have read this." Horatio grinned.

"Impressive. It's one more than me." Jackie yawned.

"When are you going back to Miami?" she asked.

"Kicking me out already? I am sure Mrs. Rubens would appreciate it if I stayed a bit longer." he teased her. Mrs. Rubens was her downstairs neighbor. She was an elderly lady who had befriended Jackie when she was new to the neighborhood. She liked to gossip, but it was all good natured and she loved company. She was a nurse so she actually could help Jackie when she was still wearing her cast and was fresh out of hospital.

"I am, you have such a pain in the… and I am sure she would, but not for the reasons you might think." She grinned back.

"Mrs. Rubens has ulterior motives, so beware. I think there's a bet going on in the building about how long it will take for her to pinch your backside."

"Oh hush you," Horatio blushed. "And how much did you bet?"

"200 dollars." Jackie was smiling like a Cheshire cat. "That she wouldn't." She added.

"So you are telling me this so that you would win? That's fraud. I should have you arrested." He laughed.

"Too bad." She grinned.

"But may I have an answer to my question?"

"I don't know if I want to give you one after all that teasing." he pouted.

"Oh you big baby. That is a Kodak moment right there."She laughed and quickly flipped her mobile open and took a photo of him.

"Haha, that's definitely a keeper. I think I'll enlarge it and print it out and put it right beside the arrest photo of mum. A happy family and all that."

"Fine I'll answer. I am flying back to Miami in two weeks." He finally answered. "Wait! What? You mother got arrested?"

"Haha yes. She had been talking to her phone while she was driving and of course without a handsfree. So when Carlisle pulled her to the side of the road she was in a full rant mode. She had actually talked with her hands quite much as she ranted and she hit Carlisle in accident, but he was loosing his temper with her and arrested her for assaulting an officer." She giggled.

"Poor Carlisle." Horatio nodded.

"Indeed. And of course then mum remembers me and calls me to bail her out."

"Did you?" Horatio asked interested.

"Yeah, it was the best night I had in long while. I paid her bail and annoyed her all the way to her house. I asked if the guys could email me her arrest photo and they did. I also asked mum if her theme song would be something like Jailhouse rock. Or Folsom Prison Blues."

Horatio was roaring with laughter. "Oh that is priceless."

"It really was. And mum hasn't spoken a word for me after that. Which I consider to be bonus."

The two tried to calm down and after awhile Horatio asked.

"Why did you want to know when I was going back to Miami?"

"While you were cooking I came into a conclusion. I need change. So I was wondering if I could come with you?"


	8. Shock Me part 1

SHOCK ME

Jackie sat in her Hummer, breathing hard, like she had run miles and miles. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking, she was nearly in tears. _'Oh this is ridiculous.'_ She thought _'This nervous woman is not me!'_ And after awhile she managed to collect herself enough to get out her car and lock the doors. She took a deep breath and held her head high. Nothing in her well groomed appearance indicated that she was a nervous wreck and more than a little scared.

She was wearing black knee high boots with three inch heels, the boots were matched with black skin tight Capri pants. Her t-shirt was also black and it had text on the front in white saying '_happy people have no stories.'_ Her red main was fashionably put into a messy bun and she was wearing a white panama hat, it was like a crown on the head of a queen. Her beautiful blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirror lens sunglasses.

The rhythm of her heel never faltered not even when she opened the doors and stepped in. The police station was buzzing with activity as usual, the wicked never rest. She was greeted by a small army of well wishers and she was beginning to panic. Then a voice rang out.

"Good to see you Jackie!" Carlisle yelled to her from the other side of the room. He started to walk towards Jackie.

"It's good to see you too Ben! And thanks, once again, for the photo. It has been a never ending source for giggles." Jackie yelled back at her partner Benjamin Carlisle.

"My pleasure." He grinned, voice low as he was now standing in front of Jackie. He had worked with Jackie two and a half years. He knew her pretty well and he could see through her cheerful façade that she was not comfortable. He was trying to make himself unthreatening. He had been a cop long enough to see many traumatized victims and Jackie was one, even when she tried to hide it. Someone else might have been fooled, but he was her partner, they trusted each other with their lives.

He did not touch her, he wanted to hug her, but in times like these, touching without consent is harmful to the victim and maybe even potentially dangerous. She was after all trained to be cop and cops had the potential to be very dangerous.

Jackie smiled at him, a genuine, happy smile that did not quite reach her eyes, but almost. They both understood what was going on. So Jackie hugged him of her own accord and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks." And with that she walked away from them and to speak with the boss man.

An hour later Jackie was standing near a door, watching the activity going on all around her. She felt a strange feeling in her chest. She missed this, but she was just not ready to come back, not yet. A devilish grin took over her face when she spotted Flack. He was obviously trying to finish his paper work and he was talking with Mac.

Mac smiled when he saw Jackie approaching silently, but she put a finger in front of her lips and Mac got the message. He continued talking normally with Flack about their case all the while keeping an eye on Jackie. Outside he was as calm as he usually was, but on the inside he was laughing. _'So she's a prankster. I should have known.'_

Flack jumped when Jackie hopped on to his desk giggling.

"What I have said about doing that?" He growled.

"Not to." She smiled blindingly at the two men.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything." She continued.

Flack was still grumbling. "And what how many times I have said that?"

Jackie put a finger on her chin, looking like she was thinking hard. "Ummm…. do I get a present if I guess correctly?" Flack just raised his eyebrow.

"Silence means yes. Then I guess around 50 times." She smiled entertained.

Mac was smiling. She looked like she was doing great. Maybe a little nervous, but she seemed relaxed enough around the two of them. He had heard that she had actually hugged her partner and that was a good thing in his opinion. She did not recoil from human touch.

"It's good to see you here officer. You look well. And you did not interrupt." Mac told her.

"Well it's good to be here detective, out of the hospital and out of my apartment. Though I must admit that I was more than little scared an hour or so ago. And please, call me Jackie." She smiled and extended her hand. Flack was also smiling. It was a rare occasion when Jackie spoke like that, with so much respect. "I am glad I could finally meet the man whose team worked hard to catch that son of a b*tch."

"I am glad too. Glad to meet you and glad I could be of assistance. And Jackie, call me Mac." He smiled. Even wounded so to speak, she was a delight to be around.

"I'll leave you two to it then." Mac smiled and walked away.

Jackie tilted her to the side and watched.

"He does that so well." She commented.

"Jackieeeeee…" Flack whined. "I really do not need to know."

"C'mon Donny boy, I'll watch you walk away. I am sure you do it much better than he." She grinned.

"Jackie darling, I love you, but you are annoying." Flack commented.

"My dear friend, I love you too…aaaaaaaand because of that I'll let you buy me lunch." She countered and jumped of the desk.

"You let me?" Flack asked and raised his eyebrow again.

"Yes, I am generous like that." She grinned and pulled him out of his chair. "C'mon."

"Just a sec." Flack smiled and put his papers away and grabbed his jacket.

She waited impatiently, tapping her foot. And together they walked out of the door. That made many cops smile since it was a familiar sight.

When they got to her Hummer she gave her keys to Flack. "I am nowhere fit enough to drive. That was bad in there. She got into the passengers side and Flack got behind the feel. He put the keys into the ignition and started the car. He turned it off right away though because when he had looked at Jackie, she was shaking as silent tears made their way down her cheecks.

"Come here Pixie." Flack opened his arms and Jackie launched herself at him almost knocking the air out of him.

She sighed in relief, Don was here, and his arms were around her. Slowly she calmed down, her tears dried and she was once again hiccupping.

"Mmmmmmmm… smell good." She mumbled after awhile. She could feel his chest rumbling as he laughed.

"It should. You bought it." Flack managed to say. He tightened his arms a little around her and realized that it was a mistake. She was breathing hard again, but not because she was aroused, she was panicking. Flack started to take his arm away.

"No!" she almost yelled. "Don't do that, don't take your arms away. Because if you do and all the others do the same… I might never be able to handle human touch again. I miss it, the freedom to touch without fear. I am tired of being afraid. Just please hold me. I am not made of glass." They sat like that for awhile, Jackie leaning on Flack. Then her stomach grumbled and he snorted.

"You need to eat and so do I. Shall we?"

"I want pizza." She said voice stuffy from all the crying.

"Pizza it is then." He started the car and they put their seat belts on.

"Hit the road." She smiled. And he did.


	9. Shock Me part 2

Shock me (part 2)

Horatio hummed as he moved around the kitchen with ease. Before he had come to visit Jackie, the kitchen was rarely used. He snorted as he remembered his surprise when he had first started cooking; there had been sweaters in her oven. Jackie obviously ate out a lot.

He was making her favorite dish, lasagna, for them to eat at dinner. He knew she was going to talk with Don after she had spoken with her boss. So he hummed as he cooked. He liked cooking, it relaxed him.

He smiled as he remembered something that happened a long time ago.

' "_Daddyyyyy, I'm hungry!" Jackie yelled. She was six years old and full of energy. She was visiting him for the summer. He turned to hug his daughter, but was startled when he saw her. She was dirty, her pigtails were in knots, her jeans were shredded from the knees and there was blood on them. Her shirt was dirty, but in one piece. There was some blood on her hands too, small cuts._

"_What on earth happened to you sweetie?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer. His daughter wasn't known for her coordination skills. _

"_I fell of my bike. Daddy?" she said._

"_Yes?" he asked as he was examining the wounds. The blood had dried sometime ago, but the wounds needed cleaning._

"_When is the food? I am hungry." She asked her voice bright, like she didn't feel the wounds. _

"_The lasagna should be ready in 30 minutes, but we will wait until Alexx and her husband arrive. Now let's get your wounds cleaned." He took her hand and together they walked to the bathroom._

"_The blood has dried some time ago. What were you doing?" he asked as he was looking for some iodine and cotton pads to he could clean her wounds._

"_I was driving around the backyard with my bike. Daddy did you know there was a huge anthill in our backyard?" She asked. He nodded._

"_Anyways I was looking at it and I hit the fence and fell of my bike. The wounds stung a little while, but there was ants!" She was excited and he smiled._

"_Not was, darling, were. There were ants. Go on." He gently corrected her._

"_I watched the ants for sometime and then I got hungry and here I am." She smiled proudly. "Can I go back out and watch the ants?" _

_He put the wound cleaning things away and put a band aid over the wounds. "Yes, you can." He smiled and handed her an apple. "Eat this and you won't starve." She giggled and bounced out of the house._

_He shook his head. Jackie had always been a smart girl and maybe a little older than her years._

Horatio was startled out of his thought by his phone.

"Caine."

"Hi handsome." he couldn't help, but smile as he heard her voice.

"So how's Miami?" he asked.

"It's good. It's missing a redheaded Lieutenant, but otherwise fine. How is New York? More importantly how is Jackie?"

"New York is what I remembered it to be, maybe a bit cleaner." He smiled and continued. "Jackie however… I don't know. She is doing a bit better I guess. There's still a long, long way to go and I, frankly, don't believe that she's going to be what she used to be. There's no going back. There's new darkness in her, shadows in her eyes. Familiar shadows to me." The last sentence was uttered quietly.

"The same darkness you carry, same shadows?" The person on the phone asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. The same darkness, the same shadows every abused person carries in their hearts." they were quiet for awhile and then he continued.

"She's out right now. She needed to talk with her boss and then she promised to annoy Don for awhile."

"It's good that she went out. I bet it wasn't easy for her."

"No it wasn't. She's only been out to see her doctor and her rehabilitation sessions. Even her therapist came here for her sessions." He confirmed.

"Oh Horatio, it hasn't been easy on you either, has it?"

"No it hasn't. This is eating me alive, having to see her so vulnerable and knowing there's precious little for me to do. It's just not fair." He sighed bitterly.

"Honey, it's not fair, but it is how the things are. Well just have to deal with it and play the cards we were given. And personally I would love to kick the a*s of that douchebag, but it wouldn't make the things any better."

"You are right. And it definitely would not make the things better. It still would be a sight to see." he snorted.

"It would be wouldn't it." he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well I have some news. Jackie and I will be flying to Miami on Monday."

"That is good news indeed. I miss you and it will be nice to see Jackie again."

"I miss you too." he admitted shyly.

"Oh, honey something came up, 419 in the Everglades. I have to go. I love you handsome."

"I love you too Calleigh." he smiled and closed his phone.

Flack and Jackie were eating their pizzas and drinking their cokes. They both would have preferred beer, but since he was on the clock and she was on pain medication it just wasn't an option.

Flack had kept a subtle eye on Jackie all the time and he knew there was something bothering her. Finally he he said.

"Start from the beginning."

"Huh?" was her eloquent reply. Flack found the stunned expression on her face to be very amusing.

"Something is obviously bothering you, maybe something you want to tell to me, but don't know where to begin. I find that the beginning is always the best place to start." He said.

"D*mn, you are good." She said.

"Well I didn't become a cop yesterday, you know." He said. "So out with it."

"Sir, yes sir. I mean detective." She grinned. "But you are right, I do have something to tell to you."

"Go on." he said.

"Well… I have realized something. I love my job, there's no doubt about it. But if things continue to go as they are, then I might never be coming back to work." She raised her hand as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Please Don, let me speak… without interruptions." She pleaded. He nodded and she continued.

"I love New York, but I feel that I cannot breathe freely in hear. I can't sleep and I think that this is the most I have eaten in days." She pointed to her pizza; she was only half way through.

"I am restless; I don't know what to do with myself anymore. My dad is better therapist than the one I have so my therapy isn't working that well." She took a sip from her now lukewarm coke.

"I need a change of scenery… and a new therapist. I am flying to Miami with dad on Monday."

Flack was stunned into silence.

After a long while he managed to ask. "Are you coming back?"

He was trying to hide his pain, but Jackie saw it. She saw it in his posture, his face and in his eyes. His eyes were the thing that got to Jackie the most. Her own filled with tears as she rose from the table and walked around it to sit by his side. She held his face between her hands and looked at him, and then she pulled his head to her chest and hugged him tight. She sniffed.

"I don't know."


	10. Goodbye New York, Hello Miami

Goodbye New York, Hello Miami

Jackie sat on the beach, toes buried in the cooling sand. Her brown summer dress glowed in the setting sun. Her long hair looked like it was fire as it flew around in the soft breeze. Sunsets in Miami were magical, all the rich colors dancing over the ocean. Jackie twirled her sunglasses in her hands and smiled at the warmth the sun was still giving away. She did see the beauty of the setting sun, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

"_Are you coming back?_

"_I don't know." _

Jackie sighed deeply. She really did not know if she would go back, if she could. She had been in Miami for a week now, she got a new therapist, who actually seemed to know what she was doing even if she hasn't worked that long as a therapist. Jackie thought she looked familiar, but couldn't quite get where she had possibly seen her before.

Jackie sighed again. She missed Don.

_The ride to the airport had been silent. No one had know what to say. Maybe Horatio had, but even he had kept his silence._

_Flack's face far from its usual cheeriness, Jackie tried to swallow her tears and Horatio was silent. He knew the situation were hurting them both, his daughter and Don._

_Flack did not want to let her go, he knew he had to. He loved her enough to let her go, even when it was slowly killing him. He just wished she would come back._

_Jackie wished that her actions did not hurt as much as they did, she wished the her actions did not hurt Don as much as they did, she could deal with the pain, but Don…_

"Hello Pixie." A voice said above her. She jumped a little, startled.

"Bloody hell dad! You are like Ruth Gordon, just standing there with a Tannis root. Make a noise." she growled annoyed.

"Rosemary's baby, decent movie. And for the record, I called your name at least a dozen times, but you seemed to be far away." Horatio told her and sat beside her.

"Oh? Sorry." She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair. They sat in comfortable silence watching the last rays of the sun disappear. The dark was rising.

_He could feet an awkward tension between the youngsters. She was breaking Don's heart and to some degree, her own._

_Don accompanied them as far as he could. He could have gone further if he had flashed his badge, but he didn't. Maybe it was too much torture to see her get on the plane and fly away from him. Before they disappeared to the other side of the checkpoint Jackie turned around and hugged Don tight. "I am so sorry." She whispered to his ear and kissed him. They were both crying. She turned around and walked away, she did not look back._

_Horatio knew that is she had looked back, she would have stayed, even if she had to get away to heal. Flack's face was heartbroken and he cried silently. He had to let her go, even when it hurt him to do so._

"_Give her time son, give her time." Horatio patted his shoulder. "You are a good man Don and sooner or later she will return to you. She'll come back."_

_Don looked at Horatio, he respected the man. "I hope you are right." He said and wiped away his tears._

Jackie was still leaning on Horatio and she was shivering.

"Here Pixie, take my jacket. You need it more than I do." He said taking the jacket off and wrapping it around her small frame.

"Thanks daddy. Mmmmmm…. it smells good." She said sniffing the jacket. "Old Spice?"

"Yes. I like it." He smiled.

"I like it too. You used to wear it more often when I was a kid." She smiled too and burrowed deeper in to the soft material.

"We better get going. It's dark already and I promised Calleigh I would get you home before the dark rose. She will have my hide." He smiled grimly.

"Don't worry daddy. I protect you. I can take one bullet girl any day." She giggled tiredly.

"I am sure you can. But today is not the day… I hope." Horatio laughed.

"Well she won't be that mad if she hasn't called you yet." Jackie said smartly and giggled when his phone started ringing.

"Ooooops, I guess I jinxed it." Horatio messed her hair as he answered. Jackie was grinning all the time her father was on the phone. Calleigh was obviously giving him a piece of her mind and the faces he made were just hilarious. Jackie motioned to him to give the phone to her.

"Calleigh." She started grinning.

"Sorry that were are late, but I was just too comfy. Dad makes a good pillow you know."

"Oh don't I know that." Calleigh giggled as she calmed down.

"Okay, too much information for the daughter." Jackie groaned. She had walked right into that one.

"You started it. Okay, the dinner is ready in an hour. Try to get home before that, please."

"We will. Bye bullet girl."

"Bye bye bulldozer."

Jackie handed the phone back to Horatio just as they reached the parking lot.

"Jackie. You really are a one of a kind. Where's your car?" Horatio asked looking around.

"Thanks. And I took a cab." She smiled.

"Alright. Let's get going then." he said and the got into his Hummer.

Jackie sat on the passenger's side and looked around as the car moved steadily forward. Miami was so different than New York, so different than Las Vegas had been. So different and yet it was the same, drug dealers and hookers at every corner. Flashing lights or police cars and ambulances illuminated the night. The night was very alive. Slowly Jackie's thoughts started drift.

"_Jackie, sweetie. I need to tell you something." Horatio started._

"_You are dating Calleigh?" She asked. Horatio looked at her stunned. _

"_How did you know?" he asked._

"_Well you just told me." She smiled._

_"Sneaky woman." Horatio smiled. He was relieved that Jackie was taking the news well._

"_Okay. I admit. I have had my suspicions about you two for quite sometime now. Are you two living together yet?" She asked curios._

"_Okay how long have you suspected? And yes we do live together. It just kind of happened and I would not have it any other way." Horatio smiled brightly which made Jackie smile._

"_You are happy." She commented._

"_Yes, I am. I am the luckiest man on the planet." he laughed._

"_That is good news." Jackie grinned and hugged Horatio._

"_And to answer your question, I have suspected that you had feelings for Calleigh for three years. And She has had feelings for you as long as she has worked for you." Jackie answered. Then quickly asked._

"_How long have you been dating and how long have you lived together?"_

"_We've been dating for six months and been living together for two." Horatio answered. "Why?"_

"_Oooooooh yeah." Jackie cackled. "Alexx so owes me."_

"_What? Why does she owe you? You made a bet about my private life!" he said._

"_Yes, your coroner and I made a bet nine months ago. She told me that she suspected that you and Calleigh have feelings for each other and I agreed. So we made a bet. Alexx thought that it would take you two a month to finally admit the feelings to each other and you would be living together in three months. I told her that it would take at least three months for you two to admit your feelings and at least five months to move in together." She told him. "And I was right. I might not have nailed it, but my prediction was closer."_

_Horatio couldn't do anything, but laugh. "I knew it was mistake when you called me some 8 years ago and told me you have been transferred to Las Vegas PD. Las Vegas corrupts innocent girls."_

"_Touché." Jackie laughed._

"_So what did you to bet?" Horatio asked curious._

_"If I lost, I would make a donation to the coroner's office, 100 000 dollars to be exact. If she lost, we would go clubbing and she pays." Jackie answered._

"_I am still going to make the donation to the coroner's office. But don't tell Alexx." She added._

Jackie was smiling.

"Penny for your thoughts." Horatio said.

"I was just thinking about our flight." She told him.

"Oh that reminded me. I needed to ask you something. To satisfy my curiosity." Horatio said.

"Okay. Shoot." Jackie told him.

"You said you have suspected that Calleigh and I have had feelings for each other for years. So you suspected that even before I married Marisol?" Horatio asked.

"Yes. You and Calleigh had chemistry, and if Marisol hadn't entered the picture when she did, you and Calleigh would have been an item sooner. I don't deny that you had feelings for Mari too; you cared for her deeply, even loved her. But the love you had for her was just a pale shadow of the love you had for Calleigh… even then. I also cared deeply for Mari and I also loved her, don't get me wrong. But I think you married her because she loved you and needed you, not because you two were madly in love with each other. But I guess that the only thing that matters is that you made her very happy, and in return she made you happy too." Jackie said quietly.

"When have you become so wise?" Horatio asked just as quietly. Jackie was right about him and Calleigh and him and Marisol.

"Oh, I don't know about wise. I have always been good at reading people." She smiled. And they were quiet.

Sometime later Horatio glanced at his daughter and smiled. She was lulled to sleep with the gentle humming of the Hummer and the familiar aura of Old Spice.


	11. Old Friend

Miami had seen many sunny days before, hot and humid, but nothing compared to this day, this week. It was unbearable and Jackie hated every minute of it. She had always hated the hot and humid days. New York could be hot and humid too, but it was different, the air here seemed to be heavy, too heavy. The weather had already been the cause of too many deaths; the news was filled with reports of those deaths. People were told to remain inside as much as possible, drink lot of water and try to stay cool.

Jackie sat in her childhood room where time had stood still. Her finger paintings were still on the walls and the beheaded dolls had still been in the closet. In this room one could really see how time changes things. Jackie twirled her water bottle in her hands and sighed. She was bored, but it was too hot to do anything.

Sighing she got of the bed where she had been sitting for the better part of the morning. On her way to the closet her eyes found the full body mirror in the corner of the room. She stopped to stare at her naked form. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, away from her neck. She was quite surprised. _'Is that woman really me?_' She wondered as she took in what she saw. She was too thin, her bones were sticking out some, and this scared her more than the scars. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She had always been thin, but she had been healthy. This woman staring back at her was not. This woman looked frail, like a wind could break her. '_I've let him win. He wanted me dead, and I am letting him kill me. Instead of his fist doing the deed, I am slowly been killing myself… this is going to change, now! To hell with him, to hell with the scars! I am me, Jackie Caine!'_

With new determination she smiled at her reflection, she was back and she was feeling good. She marched to her closet and pulled out various items. Soon her room was a mess as she was trying to figure out what to wear. In the end she decided on a vintage summer dress, it was white with blue flowers on it. She also found matching white high heeled sandals after some thought she braided her hair and added some make up. She looked herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked beautiful and felt that way too. She giggled and twirled around.

'"_Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag mein Schatz."(Happy Birthday, my dear) The old man had smiled as he put a cupcake in front of her. The cupcake had one candle on top of it. "Go on, close your eyes and make a wish." the man said, his eyes twinkling with mirth._

"_Danke Schön." (Thank you very much) Jackie gave him a watery smile and closed her eyes making a wish as she blew out the candle. "You shouldn't have." She started to say, but was cut off. _

"_Jackie dear, yes I should. Did you think I wouldn't find out that today is your birthday?" the old man grinned.'_

Jackie didn't know where that memory had come from, but she new she had been neglecting a friend. They still mailed and called to each other from time to time, but she had been too wrapped up in her own pain to understand how much she missed him. She smiled at her reflection, took her purse and her keys and faced the heat head on.

She sighed with relief as she started her car and sweet air conditioner kicked in. "Stupid heat." She grumbled and fished her phone.

She pushed the familiar numbers on her phone and waited an answer.

"Caine."

"Hi daddy." she chirped.

"Hi darling. You sound happy." he noted.

"I am dad, I am. I'm back daddy." She grinned.

"That is good to hear baby. You don't know how worried I've been." He sounded so relieved that Jackie was almost in tears again.

"Oh daddy." She was silent for awhile. "I actually had something else to tell you too. I am going to see Hans. I have been neglecting him lately. Been too wrapped up in my own shit."

"That's great honey. He has missed you, you know." Horatio said. He remembered how worried the older man had been when he had learned about what had happened to Jackie.

"And I have missed him. I hadn't realized how much until few minutes ago." Jackie said.

"I have to go. You enjoy your time with him. Call me if you stay the night."

" I will, bye daddy." Jackie grinned.

"Bye hon." he smiled. His daughter sounded like she had sounded all those weeks ago, all those months ago. _'Has it been four months already?'_ Horatio marvelled.

While she had been talking on the phone, she had arrived to her destination. She did not look forward of getting out of the car, but she really wanted to see her old friend. Their friendship was not what most would call conventional, but they did enjoy each others company. He would soon turn 105, she was just 28, he had a history which was something he did not often speak about, and she was just making her own. What on earth could they have in common?

Smiling Jackie got out of the car and walked swiftly to the door and knocked. "Just a moment." Jackie heard a voice calling. How she had missed that voice. It seemed a little weaker than she remembered, but still strong enough. Soon she heard soft steps slowly coming closer and the door opened.

"Mein Gott. Jaqueline, bist du das?" (My God, Jaqueline, is that you?) The old man was smiling. His hair was silvery white and cut short, like they always had been. He still carried himself like a military man despite the fact the he hadn't been in military since 1944. He wore a grey suit which was made out of light and breathing material, his hand was gripping his cane tightly. His smile gave the sun a run for its money. He looked charming as ever.

"Ja, mein lieber Oberst, das bin ich." (Yes, my dear Colonel, I am.) Jaqueline smiled and hugged the old man. He chuckled and hugged her tightly.

"Kommen Sie herein, herein." (Come in, Come in.) he said kissing her cheek. She smiled and did as he asked. She sighed with relief as the door closed, leaving the heat outside. He had a nice air conditioned house. He chuckled "Yes, the heat is a bit too much."

"A bit like you, my dear friend, a little too much." She teased him.

"Exactly." he chuckled and hugged her again. Jackie smiled and inhaled, his familiar cologne making her feel right at home. The moment brought back some memories for both of them.

'"_Come on Dieter! Throw the ball!" A girl's voice yelled and the boy called Dieter took aim. Hans felt a little twinge in his heart, he had never heard the patter of little feet in his house. When he had been younger, his choices led to a lonely life. Now, in the evening of his life, he tried not to be bitter, but sometimes he couldn't stop the feeling, he couldn't stop the longing. "It's too late no, old man." he mumbled to himself and sighed._

"_Hey, Dieter, throw the damn ball before I start to decompose." the girl yelled, mocking the boy._

"_I'll show you decompose." He yelled back and threw the ball. His aim was a little of though and the ball flew in wrong direction crashing through a window and landing right in front of the old man. When Dieter saw what happened, he ran, hoping that he wouldn't be blamed._

"_Hellstrom! You bloody wimp!" The girl yelled, making the old man chuckle as he picked up the ball. 'Hellstrom... why does that sound so familiar?' he pondered as he bounced the ball in his hands. 'Oh yes, I once knew a man named Dieter Hellstrom, __Sturmbannführer (Major) of the Gestapo.'_

_He chuckled even more when he heard her curse in several languages. 'That girl got some spunk.' he smiled and too a swig from his glass of milk._

_Soon enough he heard a gently knock on the door and he rose to open it. For a 94 year old man, he moved quickly. He opened the door, bouncing the ball with his other hand._

"_Hello Mister." Jackie started embarrassed._

"_Hello" He answered. "I presume you are looking for this?" he asked more gently than he had planned and looked at the ball. He felt his defences crumble in front of this stranger; he was so used to scaring people away that it felt weird. The girl did not look scared, she looked honest and mortified. People usually shied away from his presence, rumours circled around and made him a social outcast. And here was this girl, looking him in the eyes; it felt like she could see right through him._

"_Ummm... yes."She smiled blushing. "My friend and I had a little accident. I am so very sorry about the window." he found it amusing the way she was biting her lip._

"_what is your name young one?" he asked. Getting more intrigued with her when he saw her face closing and she looked at him sceptically._

"_My name is Jaqueline." She said._

"_There's no cause for alarm, dear girl. I am just asking to find out who exactly is the culprit who broke my window, though I think that you should not be the one taking blame for it." He smiled charmingly._

"_Dieter is a wimp and he will not get away from this untouched, trust me sir, he'll pay one way or another." she smiled like a shark. This fascinated the old man even more. Her smile was absolutely bloodthirsty and he almost felt bad for the boy. Young Dieter was a mouse and Jaqueline was a cat._

"_And about the window." She continued smiling charmingly at him like nothing had happened. She reminded him of his own younger self. "Here's my dad's card. You'll have to talk with him about it, because I am still underage and he is my guardian." She handed him the card and he took it. She was acting more mature than he had expected any teen to act these days._

"_Very well Fräulein Jaqueline." (Miss Jaqueline) He said and handed her the ball._

"_Vielen Dank Herr..." (Thank you very much Mr...) She started and he smiled. So could speak German and not just curse._

"_Landa. Hans Landa." He told her._

"_Herr Landa, mein Name ist Jaqueline Morgan. Und tut mir wirklich leid." (Mr. Landa, My name is Jaqueline Morgan. And I'm really sorry.) She smiled and extended her hand to shake his._

"_Fräulein Morgan, sind dir vergeben."(Miss Morgan, you are forgiven.) He took her small hand into his, but instead of shaking it, he kissed her knuckles. She was surprised, but did not show it. She acted like it was completely normal. He, however, saw her surprise, but then again he had always been good at reading people. And that had been part of his job once upon a time._

"_Auf Wiedersehen Herr Landa." (Goodbye Mr. Landa.) She smiled warmly._

"_Auf Wiedersehen Fräulein Morgan." he smiled._


	12. Friend and psychiatrist

As the memory faded from their minds, Hans smiled warmly at her and took her in his arms. She was smiling too. He noticed that she was too thin and her skin felt kind of like his, her hands felt kind of like his own, they were not the hands of someone in their 20s. Her eyes were a different matter altogether. They held the same old flame in them, the spark and the old will to live. They were old eyes, they had seen many things, but they were hers, familiar and yet, different. He saw her scars which were fading, but she was marked by them, just like he was. He still remembered the pain he had felt when the bowie knife had pierced the skin on his forehead.

He shook his head a little to shake the painful memory away. He smiled at her.

"You look too thin, my dear. I have ordered some strudels today and they are begging to be eaten. Please would you join me and tell me all about anything you want."

She couldn't help but laugh. He was so sweet. "You and your strudels." She giggled "Well, I suppose I could join you, Since I can hear that begging too."

"Your laughter is music to my old ears." He commented as he helped her to her seat in the kitchen. He acted like the gentleman he was raised to be. Jackie would not admit it to anyone, but she loved to be treated like a lady. It was so rare in these days when the chivalry was as good as dead.

She was content as she watched Hans busying himself around the kitchen; he made coffee from freshly ground beans. He took the cream from the fridge which he had made earlier for the strudels. He put everything on the table and Jackie felt bad that she hadn't helped, but she knew that Hans would take offense, he might be old, but he was not and invalid.

When he finally sat down across from her, he sighed. The wide smile hadn't left his face once after he saw her alive and well.

"Well meine liebling, it has been awhile.

"Yes, it has been awhile meine lieber Freund. Sorry about that." She apologized once again.

"No need to apologize, mein schatz. You are just like your father, always apologizing, even when the fault is not yours." He said.

"Well I am a daddy's girl." She smiled. "How have you been Hans?" She asked and took a bite from that delicious strudel.

"Well from what I have heard, I have been feeling better than you." She grimaced as he said this. He looked at her apologetically and continued.

"But you know, at this age, if I am not hurting somewhere, I most likely dead. So I take my medication and enjoy my quiet life." He smiled.

"I hope the neighborhood kids aren't giving you trouble anymore." Jackie frowned remembering all the times she had had seen Hans sad because his house had been vandalized. He hadn't seen the need to call police about it, but Jackie had. He had stopped her from involving the police. She had been so angry and she had told him that she would not involve the police yet, but she would go to talk to them as a cop. She also told her dad about her plan; he agreed to cover her behind if her superiors had something to say about it.

He smiled sadly. "No, not after you spoke to them. Whatever you said to them must have worked, but on the other hand I understand them. I kind of did the same thing when I was part of the Wehrmacht, during Hitler's reign.

"That is true, but that does not mean that you have to put up with now, even if you think of it as a penance of you past actions." Jackie's voice was filled with passion as she spoke. Her eyes were angry, but not at him.

"I am very possessive of my friends, possessive and protective. How many times we need to go through this Hans? I don't give a rat's ass about your past. I know what you were, I know what you are, I know that you have done some terrible things, things some would call disgusting. You have killed people, but so have I. During the reign of that Jew hating mass murderer, you did what you had to do; it was part of your job, unavoidable. Just like it is unavoidable in my line of duty." She continued voice growing stronger with every word.

"Hans, why cannot you accept it as it is? We have been through this discussion so many times."

"_So you are the Jew Hunter? Jackie asked with all the sensitivity of a blunt axe as she was painting his house. She had taken the blame to save Dieter from being send to the military school, he had been in trouble before and his parent were laying down the law, he would behave or go to military school. So she had made a deal with him. He would go shopping with her every Saturday without complaint until the schools started again and she would take the blame. Later he had gotten into trouble again and Jackie was now without a shopping partner._

_Jackie didn't mind that much though. Yes, she would miss Dieter, but this was an opportunity she just could not pass. She loved history and here she was, painting the house of one of the most infamous people in history._

_Jackie had once again decided to thank her dad for making this deal with Mr. Landa. The men had agreed that Mr. Landa would pay the new window and she would help him repaint his house. She had agreed since Mr. Landa intrigued her. She had done some reading before starting the job and now she was waiting for his reaction._

_He sighed. He knew this would come out eventually and he was kind of glad that she had brought it up so soon, but he was scared how she would react when he admitted the truth._

"_Ah. Non, mon petite. I was the Jew Hunter, I am not anymore. That was my job during the Third Reich, but I prefer being called detective. It wasmy job to find people and I was good at what I did, and yes, most of the people where Jews, but there were other people too. You have done your homework, what's your verdict?" he asked tiredly. He did not know why her opinion mattered so much to him. He wanted her to respect him, for who he was, not who he had been many years ago, even when that man was part of him still. _

_He had grown used to her very quickly, she was easy to be around with and he often sat in the shade of the trees as she worked. Every now and then he would call to her and tell her to take a brake. There were always strudels fruits, milk and juice for her to eat and drink. Now he was scared that she would be repulsed with him. He sighed again and raised his wrinkled hand to touch a scar on his forehead. It would always remind him who he used to be, it would always mark him as a nazi. The scar was shaped like a Swastica and it was in the middle of his forehead, a souvenir from an old acquaintance, something he could not remove. And like the days of our lives, scars also fade and so had this one, decades ago, but if one looked closely, it could still be seen._

_Jackie was looking at him closely and had not missed how he touched his forehead, nor did she miss how he seemed to get smaller by the second. But instead of feeling a power rush, she could have felt seeing this once feared man shrink in front of her, a 16-year-old girl, she felt sad._

_She put down her paintbrush and walked over to him. She removed his hand from his forehead gently, and placed her small hands on the scar, tracing it with her fingers, still staying silent, thinking._

"_I do not think any less of you now than I did before. You did what you did, there's no changing that fact. But it is in the past. I cannot accept what you have done or what the nazi's did. It makes me sick to think about it, but it is in the past. I know that the Jew Hunter and the detective are always part of you, but you are so much more, you are you and I like you. She kissed the scar and went back to work._

_He silently wiped away the tears, the ones she had pretended not to see. He had to smile at her tact. In a way, he had been forgiven. He laughed when he heard her yell. "And what's the thing with the strudels?"_

The two smiled at each other. "Yes we have had this discussion many times before." he agreed.

"Yes we have, so it's the high time you start believing me." She snorted.

"Yes, well, I am stubborn man." He grinned. And the two fell silent. It was comfortable and the only sound was a clock ticking away on the wall.

"Thank you darling." He said as she poured him another cup of coffee. She just smiled.

"Jackie. How are you? And don't lie to me, I don't like liars." He said as he zipped his coffee. He actually preferred milk, but he liked coffee too and would often drink it to humor her.

"I don't know where to begin." She sighed dejectedly.

Hans took her small hand in his and squeezed it warmly, giving her his silent support. "I personally find the beginning is always the best place. I see that you are in pain, but I also see that you have been worse than you are today. So please tell me everything, for I doubt you have told anyone the whole story, not your father, nor your therapist. Remember liebling that I am 105, I have lived through a lot and seen a lot, there isn't anything that could surprise me.

Jackie was crying silently and nodded. She hiccupped and started her tale. She told him how she had fallen for Peter, how he had first treated her, how he had made her feel, she told him how Peter had begun to change. How he become possessive and jealous. She spoke for hours and he listened. She laughed and cried. He laughed with her and cried silently as he held her when sobs were wrecking her small frame. When she had dried her tears and finished her story. She felt incredibly light.

While she had been talking, the sun had set and the two had decided to sit on a swing on the porch. The evening was pleasantly cool though it still held a memory of the hot day. She was lying down, her head on his lap and her feet were hanging outside of the swing, and she was comfortable.

"Sie sind dir vergeben mein schatz."(You are forgiven my dear.) There really wasn't anything to forgive, but she needed to hear it none the less.

She smiled tiredly as he started to hum an old German lullaby, something his mother had sung to him no doubt. She felt something melt inside her. She was not angry anymore; she did not feel the consuming hate anymore. She was almost done with her healing and she fell asleep feeling happy, content and most of all safe.


	13. You've got mail

**You've got mail!**

The weather had cooled considerably in a fortnight. Jackie hummed to herself as she sat with a bottle of water and her trusty laptop on the terrace of her childhood home. Already she looked a little healthier, she had gained some weight quickly as she had started eating properly, her hair was shining again as were her eyes. The gentle breeze tousled her hair that was free from a ponytail. Jackie continued humming and wiggled her toes admiring the red nail polish which she was free to do as she was with bare feet. She was wearing an ivory salsa skirt that reached just above her knees and her top was form fitting and of matching color, but it was made out of French lace.

Horatio had told her that she had gotten a lot emails, and he had written back to them to inform them about the situation. Jackie hadn't minded, but now she needed to write back to the people that had missed her and apologize. She knew she really didn't have anything to apologize for, but she felt the need to do so anyway. She had written emails after the incident, but she had been snappy, distant and short worded, and now she wanted to make up for it.

She took a swig from her water bottle and opened another mail. It was from Don. She smiled sadly and stopped humming as she read it.

_**To:**_

_**Subject:**__ 1-800-losing-my-mind_

_I haven't hear from you in a while and I am starting to worry! I know Horatio would call me if something was seriously wrong… But I am slowly losing my mind here. Please Jackie when call me, mail me, whatever just contact me. I need to know that you are okay. I don't mean to sound whiny, but you are too important…_

_Don_

Jackie took a shaky breath. She really had ignored him lately, she didn't even recall the last time she had contacted Don, her best friend. She presses the answer button and started to write when she suddenly felt very uneasy. She snapped her head up and looked around methodically, there was no one to be seen, but she felt that someone was watching her. She put her laptop on the table and started to get up and as suddenly as the feeling had come, it was gone. She stood up and walked around the backyard to investigate, but she found nothing. She shook her head and walked back to the terrace, her cheery mood now gone.

She sighed again and started writing the reply to Don.

_**To: **_

_**Subject: **__Sorry is the hardest word_

_Don_

_You know as well as I do that I am always apologizing. Maybe I think it will make it easier when it really matters, but it doesn't. But I am so sorry, I know I should call, but I am a chicken. I am afraid Don. I am not afraid to live anymore, I am not afraid of Hydeberger, I am just afraid… I am afraid that you… that I… Oh hell… I am not sure what I am trying to say. I'll tell you when I figure it out. Okay?_

_I am so sorry Donnybear, I know you have worried about me and frankly I cannot blame you. But Jackie's back, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? Yeah, Jack's back so to speak, changed a little on the way, but tougher than ever. I guess it is true what they say… "What doesn't kill you… hurt's like hell." :D_

_It is great going out without freaking out and shaking like an autumn leaf on speed. Around two weeks ago I met up with Hans, remember him? Anyways we talked and talked, well I talked. He has this way of getting inside your head, but I am not sorry. I could tell him everything, the truth and nothing but the truth. He has helped me so much, I told him that he should have been a therapist. He dared to laugh at me. :) The truth is that he has been better than all my shrinks combined. I cannot ever thank him enough. I am so glad that he is my friend, dirty old man that he is... hahahahaha. _

_When I saw him for the first time after a long time, that was around two weeks ago, and I spoke and spoke and spoke and… well you get the picture. I fell asleep on the terrace. We sat on a swing, he sat and I was lying down my head on his lap and my feet dangling outside the swing. He was petting my hair as he listened. When I stopped talking, I pretty much fell asleep. I felt so free and so light. I had carried this anger inside me for so long. After some time he woke me up and told me that if he were a younger man he would have carried me, I had looked so peaceful that it almost broke his heart to wake me._

_I kissed him on the cheek and thanked him. I went to the guestroom and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the unbelievably soft pillow. I love that pillow. I am planning on stealing it, but shhhh, you cannot tell anyone. ;) The next morning I was awake early and I mean early. I found one of his shirts on the clothesline. I took it and put it on, I almost drowned in it. He is a big man even now. I heard him snoring and giggled as I made myself some coffee. I was humming to myself. I have been doing that a lot lately am I the one losing my mind? _

_I took the cup filled with black happiness outside with me and watched the sun rise. I have never seen anything so beautiful. Well you are almost as beautiful when you are sleeping peacefully and your hair is sticking up in every direction._

_After awhile I decided to some yoga. And just as I was doing the __surya namaskaar__, you know greeting the sun; I heard a voice behind me._

"_Wow, what a view." I thought he meant the morning sun, but when I turned around I noticed that he was looking my ass. I raised my eyebrow and looked at him. He grinned at me and said._

"_What? I am 105, but I haven't lost the urge. I am just a red blooded man. And is that my shirt?" I giggled like mad as I danced to him. I kissed him on the cheek and sat beside him on the swing._

"_Yeah Hans, it's your shirt. And thank you, it's good to know I am still desirable." He chuckled and winked at me. And that is the story why Hand is a dirty old man._

_Where was I before I decided to tell you the story about Hans. Oh yes, therapists. Maybe I have been a difficult case for both of mine, but I didn't get anywhere with them. I didn't trust them, so I held something back with them and I know it doesn't work if the patient isn't truthful. But I do agree with Dr. Latimer, I should take things slowly. She's a smart woman and I kind of liked her, but I couldn't trust her. But she noticed the change in me when I saw her for the last time and she was happy for me. I hugged her and said goodbye. I still think it was the right decision, even when I have bad days. But the good days are overpowering the bad ones. _

_I have understood that life is precious. When Peter tried to kill me and failed, I lost something in me... When he didn't succeed, I was doing the deed for him, I was slowly killing myself. I realized that, when I stood in front of the mirror and for the first time I looked at myself, I really saw me. That was the moment when everything changed. It was time for Jackie to come back. I am glad I came here, for here I have been able to heal._

_I can't count the times when I have cried myself to sleep, because of Peter. I loved him, but he broke my heart. Yeah, he broke my bones too, but they have healed, my heart hasn't. It still hurts to say his name, it hurts to write it and it hurts to think about it. I wonder if broken hearts heal. His execution is the day after tomorrow. And I don't know what think, what to do. Should I drive to the jail he is kept and see him for the last time or should I just stay away. I know I cannot be present at the execution. Could you watch someone you loved, to be killed? I can't._

_I am planning a little trip to Las Vegas to cheer myself up a bit. Maybe lose some money is some Casino, dance the night away and greet old friends. I miss Las Vegas._

_My, my... I have written a novel and all about myself. How are you Donnybear? How is everybody? Did you get the package I sent you? And they are all returnable if you don't like them. _

_With Love Jackie_

_P.S. Calleigh blushes when I call her 'mum' and since I am the person I am, I try to do that as often as possible. I have to be careful though, she is a CSI and a 'Bullet Girl', and I don't want her to use me as target practise. :) bhahahhaha._

_P.P.S I think I hear wedding bells in near future. Dad and Calleigh are so cute that it's officially sickening. If he doesn't pop the question sometime soon, I am sure she will._

Jackie decided to stand up and stretch. She was thinking about the odd feeling she had gotten earlier. She wondered if she should call Horatio, but decided against it. She was a cop also, though she didn't have her gun, she had her badge with her. She was uneasy, but the birds still sang as they had before, cars drove by like usual and the ants continued their work like they had always done. Jackie shook her head; she was being paranoid no doubt. She got another water bottle from the fridge and got back to work.

_**To:**_

_**Subject:**__ Hello Princess_

_Jaqueline Caine, darling, I am worried about you. You have been so... so... I don't exactly know, you haven't been you in so long. I hope you are feeling better. I know that sounds like a cliché, but I really mean that. You are my princess._

_Last time I saw you, I am not sure you even knew that I was there. You were so small so silent. It was unnatural. And it broke my heart. I am sorry that I haven't seen you more often, but I am scared. I am scared that when I come to visit, you are like that zombie, an empty shell. If that Hydeberger wasn't going to be executed, I would arrange something._

_Jackie, princess, come back to us. You are the sun of my world and it's mighty dark here without your smile. Call me, mail me._

_With all my love_

_Grandpa_

Jackie was wiping away tears as she finished reading the email from her grandfather. _'I have really neglected my family haven't I?'_ She took a deep breath and started to write a reply.

_**To: **__Morgan _

_**Subject:**__ Princess of Manhattan_

_Hey Grandpa_

_I don't know how to start. _

_The Princess of Manhattan is back, maybe a bit darker than she used to be, but she is back. ;) And I do have a memory of you visiting me a month or so ago, but the memories aren't very vivid. _

_I am so sorry that I have worried you, but you don't have to worry anymore. I know you will worry all the time, but there really is no need. I'll call you later, I miss hearing your voice._

_Love_

_Jackie_

She smiled as she finished. She took a swig out her water bottle and opened another email.

_**To: **_

_**Subject: **__One way or another_

_Jackie!_

_First I hear that you have beaten to a bloody pulp and you are in a surgery. Police force really is united, as the news travel fast. I was so relieved to hear that you had survived the surgery. Relieved and scared. To you I can admit that. Then the NYPD asks for our help and let me tell you we were glad to help. I don't think I have ever seen Grissom that angry and Cathrine was like an angry mama bear. Then there was silence, I mean yes, we got the info that the culprit had been caught and all, but nothing concerning you. I decided that I would take some sort of action and called your father. Boy, was he surprised to get a call from the Undersheriff of Las Vegas PD and asking him about his daughter. I admit I enjoyed his surprise and were pretty amused. I take it that you have not told him about me? ;)_

_So how are you? Healing and getting better I hope. I know you, you are too stubborn to give up, and you are going to survive this ordeal, one way or another. Do you need me to do some ass kicking for you? I know that Grissom and Cathrine would help, and the rest of the graveyard shift, they were quite mad at that Hydeberger. You really are one of kind Jackie, a beat cop befriending a bunch of CSI's and ensnaring their boss. ;)_

_I hear that Hydeberger has his toxic date with the injection soon. How are you feeling about that? After all you loved him. I doubt that, that love has died completely. I need to go soon, meetings after meetings. Jackie, I am here you know, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or something else... And if you are ever coming to visit, Hotel Ecklie is open, for you it's always open._

_Yours_

_Conrad_

_P.S. Sanders is driving us all crazy. Contact him soon, please._

Jackie chuckled as she read Ecklie's email. She had become friends with the reserved man when she was working in Las Vegas. They had met in a bar, one thing led to another and she woke up in his bed, in his arms with a massive hangover. But she had not regretted it then and she definitely didn't regret it now. They had met every once in awhile and let of some steam in bed. It could have destroyed their friendship, but it hadn't, they had grown close. They had officially never dated and while he might have wanted more, he didn't want to chain her. She was a woman who was meant to be free, until the right person would come and love her the way she deserved. He knew that he was not that man, but that did not stop him from loving her.

Jackie smiled as she remembered his twisted sense of humour, he was sarcastic and his wit was sharp. She couldn't understand why everyone thought that he was an asshole. And with a wide smile she started to type, all the uneasiness she had felt, was now forgotten.

_**To: **_

_**Subject:**__ What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas_

_Hey Sheriff_

_I bet dad was surprised to hear from you. I have told him that were are friends, but I told him the edited version of our relationship, I left out the more intimate details, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, eh? And I kind of forgot to mention to him your... umm... rank. _

_You know me so well Conrad. I have missed you, you know. After I read your email, I started thinking of our past and since I was already planning to visit Vegas... Well let's just say that it's good to know Hotel Ecklie is open for business. ;) _

_I am sorry I have been silent and/or short worded for so long. I have been away, I was here, but I wasn't... I am back now though, Jackie 2.0, a little darker, a little more complicated a little different. _

_And about Peter... As I said earlier, you know me so well. I think I still love him; even after all he has done to me. I wrote to Don earlier and I am still as confused as I was few hours ago. I don't know if I should go visit him in jail for the last time or should I just stay away. I am not going to see his execution, I can't. I just can't. I am kind of glad that he is in prison, but is killing him right? It makes me feel like I am no better than he is._

_Oh and thank the team for me, tell them that I am really grateful for their help. And I will contact Greggo soon, so you can tell him to calm down. ;)_

_Love_

_Jackie_

_P.S. I can kick ass myself, thanks for the offer though._

Jackie smiled. She would go to Vegas sometime soon. The thought cheered her up and she started humming again. She stood up and closed her laptop, took the water bottles inside. She forgot her laptop on the dining room table as went to her room.

She decided to go running, it was only noon. Jackie changed her clothes to a white wifebeater and sweatpants, put on her red sneakers and found her ipod. She ran outside and grinned to herself. She love running and it was a great way to get back into shape.

She loved the wind on her face as her feet pounded the pavement rhythmically. She let her thoughts fly as the music filled her head. Running was relaxing and she felt the stress leave her body. And soon she was back home. She was sweaty and grinning like a maniac; running was the best drug she knew, after coffee.

Her grin faded as she noticed that something was off. The uneasy feeling from earlier returned as she opened the front door, it was unlocked. She knew she had locked it when she had left. Horatio's Hummer was not there and neither was Calleigh's, so they were not home. She knew better than go inside without back up in situations like these, so she got her phone out and backed away from the door as she dialled her father's number.


	14. Eclipse

Eclipse

Horatio sat down heavily on the couch in his office and gave a huge sigh. It had been a busy day, interrogations, high speed chase, autopsies, waiting for DNA, and the most annoying of all things, Stetler. It seemed that that man loved to see him miserable. Sometimes Horatio enjoyed ruffling his feathers, but today was not one those days. Horatio gave another huge sigh, '_maybe the heat wave has messed with all of our minds.'_

He was happy that the weather was back to normal again and the heat wave had come and gone. Normal was by no means cool, but the heat was bearable again. But instead of heat wave there seemed to be a crime wave going on. He had precious little time to spend with his daughter these days and he regretted it. He knew she didn't mind, they had both sworn to serve and to protect, this was his city to protect as New York was hers. _'I wonder if New York is still hers…'_

Horatio was startled when his phone rang once again. _'No rest for the wicked, eh?'_ He thought bitterly.

"Caine." he barked, ready to see some heads roll.

"Jeez, dad. Don't bite my head off!" Jackie growled.

"Jackie?" Horatio asked her.

"Who else calls you dad? Never mind, don't answer. Just get here quickly, like yesterday." Jackie hissed her voice gaining a metallic edge to it.

Horatio knew that voice well; something was going on, something less than pleasant. He jumped to his feet and started walking briskly."On my way, tell me what has happened."

"Our house has been broken into. I am outside unarmed, did not go in. I hate being unarmed!" Jackie growled and Horatio couldn't help, but grin.

"Stay where you are hon. I'll be there soon." He ordered and ended the call. Horatio soon reached his Hummer and jumped behind the wheel and drove of like the hounds of hell where after him, sirens on full blast. People might be stupid, but they had some self preservation left and they made way for him.

Meanwhile Jackie stood outside their house, her eyes searching for any sign of someone else being there. She did not spot anything and sighed in relief when she heard the approaching sirens, they were still far away though. She was restless; she was not used to waiting, not like this. She wanted to go in, she was burning with desire to do so, but common sense and her training told her to wait for backup. _'Oh crap. I miss my Beretta.'_ she sighed, resigned to her fate.

Horatio was seething. How dared someone enter his home uninvited? How dare they, the very people who he tried to protect? And he pushed the pedal to the floor and still he could not get there fast enough.

Jackie turned around when she heard the sirens and the car turning into their driveway. She breathed a sigh of relief again when Horatio stepped out. He threw her into a tight hug, silently thanking God that his little girl was alright. He kissed her on top of her head.

"Jackie? Are you ready? He asked looking her in the eyes.

"Only with a gun." She told him, her eyes determinate. He smiled and bent over to retrieve his second gun which was always in its holster around his left ankle. He had needed it more times than he cared to remember.

He handed her the gun and she took it weighing it, getting the feel of it. With the familiar weight in her hands, it was like she found a missing piece of herself. She smiled at Horatio and nodded her head towards the door in silent question.

"Here we go." he smiled and took the lead. Right now he was more than her father, he was her commanding her officer and they worked well as a team. They worked quickly their way through the house securing it and found no one.

Horatio had called his team at some point and soon enough they parked their cars and jumped out. Calleigh was trembling with suppressed anger, she felt violated. Someone had been in her home; someone had taken her haven from her. Her home had always been a place where she could feel safe, now that feeling of security was gone. Horatio knew how his women felt and hugged them both close, offering them all the comfort he could and gave a small sense of security.

Eric with Ryan and Natalie worked inside the house, searching for anything the culprit might have left behind. There was always forensic evidence; teeny tiny pieces that most did not know existed.

Frank on the other hand was debating should he interrupt the family moment or wait awhile. Horatio solved his dilemma before he had decided.

"Jackie, darling, Frank needs to speak with you, with us. It's his job to ask questions." he nudged her towards Frank.

Jackie smiled at her dad. "I know. I am a cop you know." Horatio just winked at her.

"Hey Frank." She smiled at him, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Hey there bug. Are you alright?" He smiled back feeling a bit worried. He had known her ever since she was little and annoyed him with endless string of questions. She was his bug and he hated that she had suffered so severely

"I am tired Frank. So tired. " She sighed. "And I guess the beginning is always the best place to start, eh?"

Frank chuckled. "It usually is, bug, it usually is. So why don't you start from there."

"After my morning routines I was bored. So I figured I should catch up with my emails. I have been answering some of them, but not really telling anyone anything. So I thought this was a good day to tell my friends how sorry I am and all that. So I spent most of the day reading and answering the mails. I sat on the terrace with my laptop. I was there for hours. And at one point I got this weird feeling, like someone was dancing on my grave. I felt eyes on me. I stood up and walked around trying to figure out who was watching me and why, but I found out nothing and the feeling was gone almost as soon as it had came. Since I did not see anything or anyone suspicious, I went back to my emails. After few hours I decided to go for a run." She explained her day to Frank.

"Few hours?" Frank asked.

"Two hours, give or take few minutes." She answered and Frank wrote it down.

"Ok, and then?" he prompted.

"I went inside and changed into these clothes I am wearing and left. I locked the door and checked the time. It was a quarter past three. I ran for 45 minutes and came home. That's when I noticed that the door was unlocked. I did not go in, but backed away slowly and called dad. He took almost 20 minutes to arrive." She shivered.

Frank nodded and continued writing his notes. "And then?"

"When dad got out of his car he hugged me and asked me if I was ready. I told him that yes I was, but only with a gun. I knew he meant if I was alright to go in with him after all that has happened to me." Frank nodded and she continued.

"He gave me his second gun and we went in. We searched and secured the whole house in less than 20 minutes. We were careful about the possible evidence and dad called you guys and then we just waited for you to arrive."

"Thank you bug." Frank smiled. Jackie nodded and Frank patted her shoulder, showing his support in his own way. Frank left to speak with Horatio.

Jackie sighed again. She seemed to do that a lot. She swayed slightly on her feet. _'Why me? Why always me?'_

"Come on Jackie." Calleigh said as she grabbed her friend preventing her from falling. She led her to Horatio's Hummer which was the closest and sat her in the backseat.

"I know it's only five o'clock, but you should try to catch some z's." Calleigh told her.

"Don't wanna." Jackie mumbled, already half asleep.

"Hush honey. Close your eyes." Calleigh smiled gently as Jackie's eyes closed and her head fell to Calleigh's shoulder.

Calleigh watched her friend sleep, she looked so fragile. She was strong Calleigh knew, but right now, all she wanted to do was to protect her. _'Why this had to happen now? Jackie was smiling again, laughing. She was in such a good shape. I hope this won't hinder her recovery or I will see that the culprit lives to regret it.'_

Horatio smiled tenderly when he saw his fiancée looking after his precious daughter.


	15. Loss is a part of life

Jackie was frustrated, they all were. It had been two weeks without any leads to the break in. The person or persons unknown were still free. Horatio's team was working hard on the case and all the others cases that were thrown their way. They were all stressed out. Jackie however had all the time in the world, but she couldn't do anything official because she was a cop on leave.

To ad insult to injury, Jackie had had some words with Hans a few days ago. He knew exactly what buttons to push and Jackie had left in anger. But now, after swallowing her bride, she knew he had been right. Jackie slammed her mug to the table and spilled the rest of the coffee on the table. _'Oh great.´ _She quickly cleaned the mess and grabbed her purse on her way out. She was going to apologize. She jumped behind the wheel and drove off. Suddenly she couldn't get there fast enough. It seemed the time had slowed down and she would never get there. By the time she arrived at Hans' house, she was frantic.

"Hans!" She yelled as she burst through the door. _'Why is this unlocked?_ She didn't have the time to think about it longer.

"Hans!" There was no answer.

Jackie was panicking, but she tried to stay calm. She searched his house trying to locate her friend, he wasn't upstairs, he wasn't in the kitchen nor the downstairs bedroom.

"Hans!" Her voice shook a little with desperation. The she heard it.

"Hans!" And there was that small groan again. It was coming from the downstairs bathroom.

"Hans!" Jackie ran to the bathroom and stopped dead on her tracks. Hans was lying on the floor, there was blood everywhere. Jackie stood frozen in the doorway until a small groan from the old man shook her out of her stupor. In a flash she had her phone out of her pocket and she dialed 911 as she was kneeling beside her friend.

"Hans. It's Jackie. Try not to move… C'mon pick it up you bastards…" Jackie was crying silently.

"_911. What's your emergency?"_

Officer Jaqueline Caine, NYPD, Maple road 12, man hurt badly.

"_Ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me about his injuries?"_

"I am cautious to move him. He's 105, but from what I can see, he has a huge wound on his head and at least a broken arm. I am so sorry Hans." Jackie spoke to the dispatch and her friend at the same time all the while trying to stop the bleeding from his head wound.

"Silly girl" he managed to groan with great difficulty.

"Shhh. Hans. Save your strength, you'll be needing it soon." Jackie tried to smile bravely.

"Jackie… P… Peter…. H…. Hy…. Hydeberger." And the silence.

"Hans! Hans! HANS! C'mon you old coot. Don't you dare to give up on me now."

"_What happened?"_

"He tried to talk. Gave me a name of a ghost. He's unconscious."

"_The ambulance will be there soon."_

"Yes I can hear the sirens getting closer. We are in the first floor bathroom, beside the stairs. Jackie prayed to whatever deity was listening that the paramedics would get there fast and that Hans would survive.

Soon Jackie was forced to drop Hans' hand and let the paramedics do their job. But she knew, they were not fairy godmothers that make wishes come true. She had a bad feeling about all this, but she still hoped.

Jackie walked slowly to the stairs and sat down. The world seemed so far away right now, her vision got smaller, and everything seemed to get darker. Her breath came out in small puffs. Slowly she started to shake and the shaking was getting stronger.

'_No! I can't do this now. I need to remain focused. Focus!'_

"Ma'am. Ma'am!" Jackie shook her head a little and looked at the young medic with a question in her eyes.

"Ma'am. Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes. Just a bit shaken up." She answered. "May I come with… Hans?" Jackie asked with some difficulty.

"If you wish ma'am. Just let us do our job." The medic answered, Jackie nodded. She got in after him.

Horatio was having a bad day. They seemed to line up these days. He was frustrated because they couldn't solve who broke into his home, they couldn't find the culprit. He had been fighting with Calleigh a lot lately and sometimes those fights ended with him sleeping in the guestroom. They were all frustrated and they were taking it out on each other. Jackie spent most of her time with Hans these days, though they had had fight of some sort. He didn't know what had happened there. Horatio was convinced that once they found out who was stupid enough to break into his home and caught him, everything would be fine.

And then this, he grimaced looking at his bandaged left hand. There had been a shoot out at the Miami Dade bank downtown. He had lost his focus once during the fight and a bullet had scraped his left forearm. He was at the hospital to get it checked. Calleigh had wanted to come with him, but there had been so much ballistic evidence that needed to be processed. They would be drowning in it for days. So he had come alone. He also knew that it was something that he was not supposed to do.

"Dad!" Horatio turned as he heard the familiar voice calling to him. Horatio stopped as he took in Jackie's appearance. Her face was puffy and eyes red from crying. Horatio was immediately worried which only increased as he noticed that her clothes were bloody.

"Jackie, honey. What…?" He started scared.

"It's… it's Hans… He's… he's… he's dead dad." Jackie's eyes watered again.

"Oh honey." Horatio hugged his daughter tight.

"What happened?" Now Horatio was very worried.

"Could we talk about it later? I just need my dad now. And it's not my blood." Jackie felt tired.

"And what happened to you?" She asked as she realized his hand was bandaged.

"Shoot out. I am alright. But how are you feeling?" Horatio dismissed his injury.

"Just peachy. I lost one of my dearest friends today. And my dad got hurt while doing his job. So not only did I loose my friend, but I could've lost my dad too. So yeah, everything is just on the peachy side of keen." Jackie growled.

"Lieutenant, officer. I am detective Flake and I am here to ask a few questions." A big bald man interrupted the pair showing his badge.

"Oh yes, Flake. I have heard about you." Horatio smiled a little.

"Questions?" Jackie asked.

"All good I hope, Lieutenant. And yes, questions. You came here with Hans Landa. He has been shot and I need to know what you know." Flake said, wanting to get a reaction from her. First on the scene is always the first suspect. He hoped that she was eliminated as a suspect very quickly. He did not like dirty cops.

"Shot…?" Jackie's voice was small. Everything started to fade again, it was growing dark.

"Jackie? Honey?" She heard her father call for her, but it was all so far away. And then there was nothing.


	16. Interrogation on the hospital bed

The world started to come around and Jackie groaned. She realized that she was in a bed and slowly she started to remember what had happened. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but the pain was fresh in her heart. Hans was dead, he had been shot and she was a suspect. She curled into fetal position and cried. Her whole body shook with the sobs.

Detective Flake saw all this; his heart went out to her. _'Surely anyone who cries like that is innocent? Or is it just guilt?'_

"I am sorry." Flake said in a gruff voice effectively startling Jackie. She sniffed and sat up in her bed. She drew her knees close to her chest, put her arm around her legs and rested her head on her knees. Her eyes were red from all the crying. She hiccupped "It's okay".

Flake wanted to comfort her, but he also needed to find out the truth and he needed to get information from her.

Jackie tried to collect herself. "Ummm… Detective. Why am I in a hospital bed…again?"

Flake had the decency to look shameful and admitted. "Well Miss. I acted quite rude. And you fainted."

"Okay. But that still doesn't expl…Oh! Knowing me I hit my head or something." Jackie realized.

"Yes. You hit your head. It's not a big wound, but needed some stitches and the doctors wanted to keep you here in case you had a concussion. And don't touch it!"He almost yelled at her when her hand automatically started to touch the dressing on the wound. "Your father and I both were too slow to catch you. And no, you didn't have a concussion." Flake explained and answered Jackie before she could form the question.

"Good. That would've been too much…" Jackie sighed. "Oh. How long was I out?"

"Three hours and 23 minutes." Flake answered.

Jackie sighed. "Well, what's another scar." Flake raised an eyebrow at her, but Jackie didn't notice. Flake didn't push the subject, yet.

"Are you feeling well enough to answer some questions?" He asked.

"As good as I can under these circumstances." Jackie answered.

"And what are these circumstanced?" Flake was interested. He knew curiosity killed the cat, but he figured he had around 6 lives left. Maybe this would go smoother than he could hope for.

"Well, I just lost a very dear friend of mine. My home got burgled and I was beaten to a bloody pulp few months ago, just before I was stabbed too many times for me to remember. I was very near to death." Jackie was crying by the end of her tirade.

Flake felt bad for her, but he couldn't show it freely. He had a job to do. He was his usual gruff self as he handed Jackie his handkerchief. It was old fashioned thing with his initials in one corner. Jackie would have laughed if she wasn't so sad and the situation so dire. _'Well well well, who would've thought that a big, bald man, who looks like a member of a biker gang, has anything like this?'_

"Thank you." Jackie smiled graciously as she took the offered handkerchief. She dried her tears and sniffed.

Flake waited for a while to let Jackie collect herself once again. He watched fascinated as she reigned her emotions, she sat a bit straighter. She looked like a queen and Flake could not help, but admire her. She was so young and she had been through so much. After sometime he started his questioning again.

"How did you know Colonel Hans Landa?" he asked.

"Short version, I met him when I was 16. I took the blame for something my friend had done. I liked him and we became friends during the summer that I painted his house. The painting was to serve my punishment for breaking his window with a baseball. And ever since we have been friends, he has taught me so much. We still call…" Jackie swallowed hard. "We used to call each other often or exchanged emails. I miss him so much." Jackie sniffed again.

"You were friends?" Flake pressed. He had seen some weird things in his life, sexual relations between a young woman and an old man did not surprise him.

Jackie wanted to smack Flake for implying anything like that. True, his actual words were innocent, but his tome had been tiptoeing to the brink of impropriety.

"Yes detective. Friends. There was nothing sexual into it as your tone hints. I know I am a suspect, but is a bit of respect too much to ask?" Jackie was barely controlling herself, she was actually growling at him. Flake nodded. He had the distinct feeling that he had just screwed up something. He represses a shudder as the flame in Jackie's eyes threatened to consume him.

He cleared his throat. "Tell me what happened today." He continued and wrote something into his notebook.

Jackie tried to clam down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, the fire was gone and sadness was in its place. "I apologize detective." Flake nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"I felt bad and went to apologize. The drive…"

"Apologize? For what?" Flake interrupted.

"Three days ago we had some words; Hans told me some truths that I was not ready to hear. I let my pride control me and I left in anger." Jackie swallowed around the lump in her throat. She would not cry, not now. When her father would be hugging her, then it was the time for tears, but now she needed to get through this interview and let Flake do his job.

"Truths?" Flake pressed on.

"Well he basically told me to grow the fuck up." Jackie told him.

"Oh. Continue." Flake nodded.

"Like I said, I went to apologize. I felt bad for getting mad at him when he was just telling me the truth. I was childish. As I was driving, I got this weird feeling in my gut, like something was very wrong and I needed to get to Hans fast. The drive was hell, it felt so long. When I got to his house, I was frantic. I in and remember wondering why the door was open." Jackie paused to collect herself. This was not easy.

"The door was open? As in unlocked or wide open?" Flake asked interested.

"Unlocked. Hans always locks the door whether he was home or not." Jackie answered.

"We'll look into it. Please continue." he told her.

"I went in and searched for him. I was around the whole house calling for him and there was nothing. Then I heard a groan, I called his name again and there was another groan. I found him at the bathroom beside the stairs. I was shocked. He was lying on the floor and there was so much blood." Jackie sniffed, but she continued.

"I completely froze for a second or so, but then he groaned again and I called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding from his head wound. You said he was shot?" Jackie asked.

"Yes, he was shot." He really didn't believe Jackie to be suspect anymore. Her pain and sadness was too deep. Not even the most talented actress could lie so well. "To his chest." He added.

"Chest? How on earth did I miss that wound? I am trained to notice these things." Jackie was shaking.

Flake wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how he could. So he just continued with the questioning.

"You tried to stop the bleeding from his head. Then what?"

I thought he had fallen down and hit his head and broke his arm in the process. I told him that I was so sorry and he called me a silly girl. I guess it was his way of saying he forgave me. I might never know." Her eyes misted over again.

"I told him to save his strength and not to speak. He never listened to me and he didn't now. He said "Peter Hydeberger." with great difficulty. And those were the last words I heard him to speak." Jackie dried her tears to Flakes handkerchief and for some odd reason it made Flake smile.

"Peter Hydeberger? Does that name mean anything to you?" Flake asked.

"Have you been out of the country? I think every damn cop here knows who he is. He is the bastard that tried to kill me; he is supposed to meet the needle on Friday, the day after tomorrow." Jackie found Flake to be very annoying. Kind of adorable, but irritating none the less.

Flake nodded. "Thank you officer. You know the drill, don't go too far and so and so on."

"I have no plans to leave just yet. I am staying with dad, if you want to ask more questions." Jackie told him and yawned.

Flake smiled sadly. He liked Jackie, but he knew she was not for him. They both jumped a little as a phone started ringing.

It was Jackie's. Flake silently left the room.

Jackie looked at the ID and her eyes lit up. "Hey Don…"


End file.
